Lacrimosa
by Why so Sirius1236
Summary: *Official Sequel to Starless Skies* An unconscious form was in the dirt, curled up by the looks of it. As the dust settled completely, a dark head of curls came into his vision and if his heart had not sped up he was sure it would have stopped at the sight of her. slight AU, Loki/OC eventual dark!Loki/OC/Steve
1. Chapter 1: Prelude

_**AN: Hello! And welcome to my story "Lacrimosa." This is the third installment in my stories between Loki and Anja, and I would suggest you read the first two stories "Deep and Dark and Dangerous" and "Starless Skies" before you read this one. If you don't want to, that's fine too, but you may get lost in some areas. **_

_**This will be slightly AU from the original Avengers movie, mainly because it will be focused on Loki and my character exploration with him and Anja. It will loosely follow the events of the movie, but a majority of it will be my own story. :D **_

_**As always, any thoughts are appreciated from my readers, so it would be great if you could leave me a note and let me know how I am doing!**_

_**Also, this first chapter will be rather short as it is more of a prologue. My usual long chapters will be back after this one. In keeping with tradition from last story, I am slipping right into the action with explanations as we go along, so bear with me? **_

_**But, enough of my rambling, I now present, "Lacrimosa"**_

* * *

"_Out on your own_

_Cold and alone again_

_Can this be what you really wanted, Baby?" _

_~ "Lacrymosa" by Evanescence_

* * *

The desert was dark… and cold… A single ribbon of highway cut through the sand like water, stretching into the horizon for miles in both directions. In the distance, a single vehicle sped down the road, kicking up a cloud of dust as it unzipped the calm sands in its wake.

A closer look revealed an armored vehicle, moving through the sands at high speeds. In the back of the truck, a man was clinging to the sides. A bladed staff was gripped tightly in one of his hands and a single blue orb glowed at the end of it, illuminating a pale face, raven hair, and sharp features. The face was a tired one, with dark circles under once lively emerald eyes and thin lips pressed into a tight line. As Loki looked down at the chest beside him his thin lips stretched into a smile.

He had done it.

Clearly he had overestimated the humans in their abilities to protect such an important piece of his plan. He reached down to the case, opening it up and gazing at the glowing blue cube before him. This would be the answer to his need for revenge. This would bring him back to his state of being a king. He wanted his home realm of Asgard to see him as a true king. He was going to bring this world to its knees, Thor's precious Earth.

His hatred increased at the thought of his older 'brother.' Earth had been no idle choice. He knew Thor loved this realm. Why? He wasn't sure. It was too filthy for his taste and, as he had just proven, Midgardians were far too fragile to be worthy opponents. He absentmindedly wiped a bit of blood from the blade of his staff as an afterthought.

He looked to the cab of the truck he was in to see the old scientist and the other agent he had gained control of. They were just other shining examples of the inferiority of these people. Thor had chosen so poorly in the planet he loved.

When he was the leader of this pitiful realm he would make it better. He would unite the constantly warring countries. He would turn Midgard into a shining realm fit to stand against Asgard and all the other realms. And then, perhaps, when he was ruler of such a shining place, _she_ would return to him.

The image of the Midgardian moon brought forth the memories of silver eyes and sleepless nights in Asgard, and then Loki was focused once more on the road in front of him.

*o*O*o*

Dirt. That was what surrounded Loki by the time the truck he had used to get away from SHIELD headquarters made it to a safehouse. Grimy, disgusting dirt. Apparently the back of a truck was not the best place to ride when speeding through desert sand dunes. With a wave of his hand, Loki had manipulated the dirt molecules away from his face and clothing. He sleeked his hair back to its usual state, noticing in slight irritation that it had grown a bit too long for his liking.

The mortal called Barton parked the truck inside of the bunker before getting out and helping Loki out of the back of the truck. He had regained his strength to a degree, but he needed to rest. His journey here had taken a lot of his energy away from him.

He let out a huff of exasperation as he made it further into the dingy bunker that would be his living arrangements for the next few weeks. He looked back at Barton as the mortal brought the Tesseract into the bunker, followed by the mortal Doctor Selvig.

"Just place it there," he said with a wave of his hand in the direction of a metal table. It was the only piece of furniture in the room. Barton nodded and did what he was told. Loki could never get enough of this, telling people what to do… This was his rightful place. This was what he had been born to do.

He just needed a few weeks. That was all he needed before he would be ready to take over this realm. He turned away from the few agents he had managed to snare and looked around, hands clasped behind his back. The place would need to be well hidden from SHIELD's radar.

He closed his eyes, summoning a bit of magic to begin his spell. That was one thing he liked about Midgard. For a reason he could not explain, his magic seemed to be stronger here. But, then again, when compared to the meager abilities of mortals his powers were infinitely stronger.

Carefully, he paced the walls of the bunker, setting to work with dark magic in an effort to cloak the place from unwanted eyes, Midgardian or Asgardian alike. Nothing would stop him. Vengeance would be his.

*o*O*o*

"Sir?" Loki looked up quickly at the sound of one of his minions addressing him. It had been two days since the team had set up in the bunker and the mortal called Barton had gathered a variety of men from various resources to help in his endeavor with the Tesseract. Now Loki found himself being called upon in what he had deemed his own quarters. He had just come from speaking with the Chitaurian army leaders, a feeling that he never appreciated. It left him shaky to take such a vast amount of energy into his mind, but it was what was required to keep in contact with his benefactors. One of the men he had taken control of was speaking to him from the doorway, nothing if not subservient to Loki's command. "I am sorry to disturb you but-"

"Yes? What is it?" he said quickly, regaining his composure as he stood up. He tried not to show his disdain at his current living arrangements. He did not want to appear weak to the lesser being in front of him.

"Dr. Selvig has detected a high energy reading just a few miles north of here. What would you have us do?" The mortal was careful not to make eye contact with Loki.

Loki clenched his fist in aggravation. If this was his brother already coming for him… "Take me to it," he said in an exasperated manner. _Best to handle this myself_. He did not want the stupidity of these mortals to lead Thor back to the base he had.

The mortal bowed reverently, but Loki did not miss the fact that it was ever so slightly forced. His thin lips arched into a graceful smile as he reveled in the power he had over these beings. Mortals were so simple. But his attention was soon brought back to the present issue and he rose from his seat, brushing dust off his worn Asgardian clothes before walking out of his rooms.

*o*O*o*

The crater that the truck came upon was not a large one. It was far too small for his brother to have used, but Loki felt his grip on his staff tighten reflexively as he felt a wave of energy come from the still swirling cloud of dust. There was power involved here.

"Proceed," he commanded the armed men that surrounded him. He kept watch over the advance from his perch at the edge of the crater.

He watched as the small squadron inched into the crater that was still shrouded with dust. As the dust cleared, however, something else caught his eye. An unconscious form was in the dirt, curled up by the looks of it. As the dust settled completely, a dark head of curls came into his vision and if his heart had not sped up he was sure it would have stopped at the sight of them. He knew that head anywhere.

"Stop!" He yelled before he knew what had hit him. "Stop." He said this last comment a bit softer. He pushed one of the guards out of the way as he tried to contain himself. It couldn't be… her… could it? Just days before he had been thinking about how it would be to have her here with him… and here she was. But this could very well be a cruel trick, a test by the Chitauri to test how serious he was about his mission. They had read every thought that had ever passed through his mind during the time they had plucked him from the void of space he had fallen into. If Loki had a weakness, she was it…

He came upon the young woman, with tan skin and dark brown hair, curled in a fetal position at the center of the crater. He was so distracted by who the woman was that he took little notice to the fact that she had nary a stitch of clothing on her body. Oh, how he knew that body… He crouched down to check the young woman's pulse, and was even more surprised to find a silver arrowhead pendant round her neck.

His heart threatened to burst from his chest as it's rate accelerated even more. It was really her! His thumb traced the golden feather he had given to her so long ago… She had not taken it off.

"Anja?" he asked quietly, as if saying her name would make this illusion solidify before him.

The woman's silver eyes snapped open, peering back at Loki at the sound of his voice.


	2. Chapter 2: Acapella

"_I've been believing in something so distant_

_As if I was human_

_And I've been denying this feeling of hopelessness_

_In me, in me"_

_~ 'Lost in Paradise' by Evanescence_

* * *

The moment those silver eyes met his, Loki knew this was not a trick. The woman before him barely seemed to see him and he pulled off his cape to shelter her nude form from his men. No one should see her like this, no one but him. He wrapped the green material around her body as he helped her sit up. To her left, he noticed a silver bow and a quiver of ivory arrows.

"Anja?" he asked carefully as he cupped her face in his hands. Her eyes were unfocused and he had to fight to keep eye contact with her. "My Love," he whispered. She kept looking around frantically, breathing hard as she took in her surroundings like some small, captured animal. "Do you recall my face?" he asked. The girl before him tried to speak as she looked directly at him, opening and closing her mouth like a fish, but she seemed to recognize him. Those silver orbs had never lied to him before. He intertwined her fingers with his before scooping an arm around her small waist to help her up.

Her legs were shaky as a newborn fawn as he helped her from the ground. "L- L…Lo-ki." His eyes widened as he looked down at her. She was in such a vulnerable state…

"I am here, My Skylark," he said soothingly. She could not walk and he ended up scooping her into his arms as they neared the end of the crater, keeping the green material of his cape around her as he did so. "Tell me what I can do for you." To one of his men, he ordered for someone to get the bow.

Anja had raised a hand up to his cheek, her warm fingers tracing his jaw lightly before she fell unconscious again as Loki slipped into the back seat of the car. His men needed to go. SHIELD would have no doubt picked up on this disturbance by now and their men would be heading this way to investigate.

"Drive," he said once Anja was situated in a seat. Her sleeping form looked so innocent and Loki resisted the urge to reach out and stroke her cheek. She stood out in the mortal form of transportation and he cringed at the idea that he had nothing better to give her. His little skylark…

He shook his head as he found himself slipping into a self that was no longer him. He was no longer the sentimental, weak man that he had been. This situation did not change anything. If Anja posed a threat to his mission… Well, he would think on that later. For now, he brushed a bit of hair from her eyes and looked out the window in the direction of the bunker.

*o*O*o*

Anja felt light against her eyelids as she slowly regained consciousness. She left her eyes closed as she attempted to hear what was going on around her. Where was she? She remembered the river in Asgard, how she had fallen back and there had been nothing to catch her, but after that the events had been a blur. All she knew was that she was not supposed to be here. She was supposed to be in Asgard for some reason… The green eyes of a baby boy, _her_ baby boy, reminded her why she needed to be home. The Dark Magic had pulled her from him. She needed to get home.

Her eyes were still closed as she took in the sounds of the room around her. The light in front of her eyelids felt as bright as the sun, but she felt no heat. The room around her rang out with male voices…

"Seems like she just fell out of nowhere. Don't know why the boss is so keen to keep her." A gruff voice was speaking.

"Just get the last of the tests over with. He wants to make sure she's healthy before he gets back."

Anja did not know who these men were referring to, but she definitely knew she did not want to find out. Her brow furrowed involuntarily as she thought through what she was hearing. Then she felt something pricking her arm and her eyes snapped open. How _dare_ someone touch her with such an appliance without her permission?

The man that was at her arm stepped back to see that she was awake. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. The room she was in was stark white. When she looked up, she realized the light she had felt on her eyelids had been some form of lamp that was positioned over the table she lay on. She gasped as she sat up, her brow furrowing even more at the sound of paper crinkling when she moved… and the feel of it on her skin. When she looked down she realized that she was in some sort of paper nightgown.

She had taken the room in in only a matter of seconds before she glared back at the man that had stuck her arm. He was in a white coat… and she knew at the sight of him that he was Midgardian.

"Where am I?" she said pointedly as she slung her bare legs over the edge of the table. Her bare feet hit cold tile floor as she stood up, rising to her full height. She staggered a bit and her legs still felt weak, but she was just as tall as the man and she noticed that he was afraid of her. He didn't answer and she watched as he made a move to grab some other form of needle. Before he could do anything else to her, she had slung a blast of magic at him, making a run for the door on the far side of the room. She pushed past the other scientist that tried to block her exit and raced down a hall.

The hall was not what she had been expecting. It was darker than the room she had just been in and she felt dirt and a bit of mud in between her toes. She smelled damp earth… and heard the sound of men coming towards her. She snapped her head around to see a good six armed guards running at her. What was it the Midgardians called those sticks they had? Her mind raced through her countless studies on the realm of Midgard. Oh yes. Guns.

She turned to face the men, summoning water from the damp atmosphere around her fingers. The water molecules froze around her fingers, forming pointed spikes at the tips. She stayed where she was only long enough to allow the men to get close enough to her. If they shot, she would retaliate. If they didn't…

"Put the weapons down," she heard one of the men in the front order. When she didn't comply, a shot rang out over her head… and one took her directly in the shoulder. It hadn't been meant to kill, only to wound, yet Anja felt no pain. It was as if the shot was merely an annoyance, a fly bouncing off of her. She felt a small smirk touch her lips as she took the guards in. She was not of this realm and she knew her body was stronger than those of these people.

Nonetheless, she found herself pulling the ice back and slinging it at the man that had just fired at her. She took the momentary victory as a chance to run past the men. She could see light from where they had come from… Along the way, she ended up slicing one of the men's thighs as he tried to stop her and knocking all but one unconscious. She kept running, dodging the bullets along the way before sending an ice dagger at the man's throat. She did not wish to test her immunity to those weapons any more than she needed to.

She still had no idea where she was in Midgard. If she could only get above ground… She swiped her long curls from her eyes as she paused briefly. The hallway she was in was slightly cooler than the last and she was quite alone. How in Valhalla had she gotten here? Everything was such a blur. If anything, she should have landed in the wilderness, not in a facility such as this… No, if anything had gone remotely right, she should have Loki back with her in Asgard.

A face so familiar to her it could have been her own raced through her thoughts. She remembered landing somewhere… and… Loki. Loki had helped her. He had been the one to find her, yet he wasn't here anymore. Had these men harmed him? Was he being held captive as well?

Surely Loki of all people would not allow himself to be taken captive by mortals… She heard footsteps around the corner and she pressed herself against the wall, waiting. Two men passed her and she stepped behind them, knocking one out completely and disarming the other one as she slammed him against a wall. She was a bit taken aback to see the blue glow that hovered about his eyes. There was no emotion in them, merely the act of resistance to her grip on both of his shoulders.

"Where am I?" she said defiantly. The man barely seemed to see her and her grip increased as she shook him. She kept an ear out for the sound of more guards, but as of that moment she did not hear any. "Answer me, Mortal!" Then she realized that there was a sense of magic humming about him, yet he was mortal.

The man blinked once, but the look in his eyes made her spine tingle and her instincts prick as she followed his gaze.

A team of several men had lined up around her in the silent hallway, armed and ready to shoot. She did not know if she could take that much firepower…

"Anja."

Her grip on the man was lost at the sound of that voice. She released him, looking through the guards. She had to of looked crazed with her dark curls a mess and her silver eyes flashing dangerously from beneath the strands that had fallen in her face.

Everything fell away when she saw him. "Loki?"

He stepped from the shadows, breaking the ranks of the guard that had been set up. "Hello, My Love," he said with a soft smile on his face. She immediately took a step backwards at his appearance. He seemed so much… older. His skin was a sickly yellowish color and he had dark circles under his eyes. Her heart nearly stopped to see those eyes looking at her in a way she was so familiar with and his ghastly appearance fell away. "Come now, please do not relieve me of any more of my men." He held out a hand for her and she looked down at it, looking back up at his eyes. "It's alright, Love. They are here to help us."

Anja looked back at him, chewing her bottom lip. There was still something off about him…

"Anja." His voice was a bit sharper now as he extended his hand a bit further to her. "Come."

She looked at him a moment longer before her warm hand met his familiarly cold one.


	3. Chapter 3: Aria

"_And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat_

_I tried to find the sound_

_But then it stopped, and I was in the darkness,_

_So darkness I became"_

_~ 'Cosmic Love' by Florence + The Machine_

* * *

Anja looked down at the dress on the bed that Loki had summoned for her. After her little stand-off with his men, she had grown very weak again. The paper nightgown she had been wearing was covered in the stray bullet holes she had been unable to dodge, yet there was not a mark on her. She found that incredibly strange.

What was even more interesting was the fact that she had no remains of her original scars either. Years of studying at the Academy had left harsh scars and callouses on her hands, yet she found smooth skin when she looked down at her long fingers now. She slid a hand over the spot on her shoulder that had once yielded a scar from a frost giant's blade and found nothing. The rough mark on her skin was healed, leaving the tan complexion, for lack of a better word, flawless. As she slipped into the material of the gown, she sighed. She was still incredibly disoriented. Loki had led her here after she had taken his hand and she had been unable to get a decent word in edgewise. He had left momentarily to give her a chance to get dressed.

She took in the cut of the gown, her brow furrowing as she tugged the plunging neckline up a bit to her bare collarbone. In a panic, she realized that her arrowhead and Loki's feather pendant were gone. She looked frantically about the room, coming up empty. And her bow… well, her bow must have been left on the river bank in Asgard. No matter, she intended on returning with Loki as soon as she possibly could. She looked back in the mirror, straightening her curls and pulling them back in a quick braid. She gave the neckline of her dress one last final tug before giving up on altering it any further. Her magic simply was not up to its usual standards. She hoped rest would cure it.

"Are you in search of this?" That cool voice was enough to make her shiver and she turned around to face Loki. He looked a bit better from the first time she had seen him. His hair had grown out to where it brushed his shoulders and his armor looked a little worse for wear, but those green eyes looked back at her with nothing but love. He walked over to her gracefully, the arrowhead and feather dangling precariously on the silver chain he held stretched between his fingers. "Go on and turn around, then."

She complied, lifting her braid up so Loki could place the necklace gently around her thin throat. She ignored the feel of his chest against her back as she studied his face in the mirror.

"I thought I had lost it," she said, the words falling thickly from her tongue as Loki clasped the cool chain around her throat. He kissed her cheek from his place behind her, his lips cold as he traced a hand over the white sleeve of her dress. "And thank you… for the dress as well." Her words were already forced… but now it was from his actions.

"I realize it is probably not your fashion, My Love, but I find it extremely attractive."

She gave him a small smile before she remembered everything she needed to talk to him about. His eyes were her son's eyes as she looked back at him in the mirror. It had not left her notice that Loki knew nothing about his son…

"It is alright," she said quietly as she turned around to face him. "Once we return home I can resume my usual dressing habits, yes?" She bit her tongue as the next questions she wished to ask him threatened to burst from her. How could he have just left her in Asgard? Why did he not return since his good health had been restored? These questions would only lead to heartache for both of them and Anja wanted to move forward, to forget the past and bring Loki back to Aric.

He looked down at her, the grin remaining on his face, but the emerald of his eyes darkening. "How long has it been since I fell, My Love?" he asked soberly as he looked at her hand in his.

Anja looked at him. "A year and a half. How long was it for you?"

Loki let out a little laugh. "Longer."

Anja gave his hand a squeeze. "It's changed you, hasn't it? I can see it in your eyes." She cupped his cheek in her hand. "But you can come home now. Your mother will be so pleased and Thor-"

"I am afraid, Anja, that I will not be returning home for a good while." Something had changed in his eyes when she said Thor's name and it did not escape her notice.

Anja furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Loki took one of her hands, kissing it as he looped it through his arm. "My Lady," he said quietly. He paused for a moment as he thought of what to say. Anja listened, her brow never wavering from the confused expression it wore. He led her to the couch on the far wall and she sat down next to him.

"Anja. I have found new purpose in my life," he began solemnly.

Anja met his eyes. "And what is that?" she asked quietly.

Loki took her hand again. "My Love, I am to be king of this realm." He watched her expression and continued when nothing changed in the silver eyes he loved so well. "I have ways of overpowering this realm… and wish nothing more for you to be by my side as I do it."

Anja chewed on her lower lip, something he found endearing and maddening all at the same time. He wanted to swoop in and bite it for her…

_Patience, Loki. She still has not answered you yet._

"By what means?" she asked quietly. Her hand had not left his, but he could feel her tense up at his words. "Loki, I think we should return home. There's… something you need to know."

"Sir?" Anja looked up as a man came through the doors, standing ramrod straight as he addressed Loki.

Loki looked from her to him. "Yes? What is it, Agent Barton?"

Anja watched the two speak of something called a Tesseract. She had never, in all her years and studies, heard of such a thing. Loki listened to the report, cutting the mortal called Barton off half way through. "I shall be out shortly, Barton," he said curtly. "My wife still needs me."

Anja watched as Agent Barton bowed stiffly and exited Loki's quarters. He looked back to her seconds later, taking a different angle.

"Anja, I am offering you an entire world! Help me take it! And I not only offer you the position of a queen… I offer you an extension of your own capabilities!"

Anja had raised her brow at that. "Loki, I have gone as far as I can go in my sorcery."

He laughed, shaking his head when it was clear she did not understand what he was saying. "Anja. How did you get here?" He knew exactly how she had gained access to Midgard. He just wanted to see her say it, admit that she had delved into the forbidden world of dark magic. It was the first step in swaying her towards his way of thinking.

She felt a blush creep upon her cheeks and once again she found herself thanking the Norns that she had been blessed with dark skin to hide the rush of blood. "Your book…"

He actually had the nerve to throw his head back and laugh at that statement before he kissed her hand again. Would he stop doing that! It was maddening to feel his mouth only on her hand.

"Aye, go on."

She took in a deep breath. "I…"He forced her to meet his gaze. "I used Dark Magic, alright?" The words came in a rush as Loki grinned like a maverick to see her squirm. He gave her a peck on the lips.

"There's a good girl. You see? There is so much I can teach you, so much that I have learned as I journeyed through space. I have seen worlds you could never imagine, met creatures not even your wondrous imagination could think up. I know all there can possibly be to know about magic. All you need to do is aid me, fulfill your promise to be my queen, and in return learn more about your powers than you ever could back in Asgard."

Anja looked at him. How could he sit here so calmly and ask her to go against all that she had once known? Dark Magic was considered treason in Asgard and for good reason. It was based on the mind, not on science. It allowed the wielder to accomplish whatever their mind could think up. There was no need for science with that, merely the will to possess it. She remembered the strange feeling she had felt before she landed here, how she had felt like she was dealing with something not meant to be handled… She had not liked it.

"Loki." It was now or never. Loki would listen to her, return home with her, or he wouldn't. "Your son needs you."

The smirk on Loki's face flattened into a serious expression as he looked into her silver eyes. "What?"

Anja's gaze did not leave his own as what she had said sunk in. "It appears the time we spent together left me with more than just happy memories, My Love."

He had pulled away from her completely by now. "I am… you mean to tell me… I am…"

"A father," she finished for him. He was looking at her with a serious expression on his face. "Loki what is wrong?"

He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again as he placed a hand on her belly, treating it as if his child was still within her. He felt cheated that he had never seen this beautiful creature grow and swell with his offspring. Thor and Fandral had no doubt been around to help her when she needed it… He felt anger surge at the unfairness of the situation. Anja, his Little Skylark, had had to deal with the consequences of his own selfish attentions by herself. No doubt the other Aesir had been hard on her when she had started showing…

"My child… You bore my child alone?" He was overpowered with love and respect for her. Never had he felt so attached to someone, so wanting to give her something more than what he could possibly attain. No, there was one thing he could give to her. He could give her this world.

Anja nodded. "And he was the greatest gift you could have ever given me. I regret nothing."

He kissed her fully on the mouth then, unable to contain himself. This woman was truly a marvel. How could one be so full of love? So devoted? "Then neither do I," he whispered. "What is his name?"

"Aric," she replied evenly.

"Aric." He let the name roll off of his tongue, getting the feel for it. He liked it. "You chose well."

She smiled softly. "He needs his father, Loki. You need to come home. Abandon whatever you have started here and return to us. Please."

Her eyes implored him to consider her offer, but this time the silver that had always been his weakness did not sway him. He wanted Midgard. He was going to take it. "Once this world is ours, we will send for him then." He watched her, enjoying the sight of his bride-to-be thinking through what he was saying.

Anja looked at him for a moment. Perhaps this was what he needed, to have some form of control. His whole life had been a lie, one out of control swirl of events leading to his downfall in Asgard. He surely wouldn't gain control again in Asgard. He was not the same Loki that she had fallen in love with, but who wouldn't change after what he had gone through? These mortals had seemed so fragile… Perhaps they did need someone to look after them. The countless wars and arguments that had been fought between them had been a majority of her studies on the realm of Midgard… But to subject a whole race to a dictator against their will?

He was still waiting on her to respond…

A wicked smile stretched across his marble features when she nodded slowly. "Gods help me, Loki, I love you and wish to see you happy. Will this make you happy?"

He rolled his eyes as he tugged at a loose lock of her hair. "_You_ will make me happy," he nearly growled. She remembered that tone, the lust that overtook him when they were in such close proximity. It was something that would never grow old to her ears, never cease to cause a warm pool of desire to form in her stomach. "My Love, I will conquer this world for _you_."

He had pulled her to her feet by now and Anja looked into his face for the slightest moment. He was so close… She closed her eyes as he cupped her face in his hand and brushed a thumb over her cheek. She could practically feel his breath on her lips. He kissed her forehead chastely, then her cheek. She fought the urge to turn her head and meet his lips. It had been far too long since she had felt his touch. She had forgotten just how much she missed it. He brushed his thumb over her lips and before she could stop herself she had opened them and drew his thumb in…

"Anja." She opened her eyes when he said her name, meeting his emerald gaze. That was all it took, apparently, because he cupped her chin in his hand and had his lips on hers in nearly the same instant. She returned it a heartbeat later as his other hand at her waist pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. It was the most tender thing she had ever experienced and it brought back memories of a younger Loki and an earlier time.

She let out a sigh as his silver tongue traced her upper lip in smooth strokes before opening her mouth to him. He had pulled her completely against him now, their tongues dancing playfully with each other as his excitement grew. Her hands went to his dark hair, sighing again into his mouth and she felt his lips smile against her own.

He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers and capturing her lower lip with a kiss before pulling away to meet her gaze. "You are beautiful, My Dearest Anja," he whispered as his fingers moved to rest on either side of her waist and they stroked her hips lightly. Her eye lids fluttered. "We will bring this world to its knees, My Queen… My Dark goddess," he growled the last part as he kissed her forehead. "And gods help me, I cannot get enough of you!" His hands squeezed gently into her waist and she melted into his embrace, running her fingers through his hair as his lips attacked her throat in trails of wet kisses.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door and the mortal called Barton's head emerged as Anja pulled away from Loki abruptly. "Sir, I am sorry to disturb you, but the Tesseract-"

"Fine," Loki snapped as he walked towards the door. "That blasted doctor may be the death of yet." He turned back to Anja. "Do you wish to see my greatest weapon?"

He smiled at his victory when Anja nodded and looped her arm through his.

* * *

**Ok. That was a long chapter! Phew. But now we can pick up the pace a bit, yeah? **

**Leave me a note? Thanks to all who have reviewed, and I promise I am trying to answer them all! **

**~Sirius**


	4. Chapter 4: Intermezzo

"_You'll never know the way your words have haunted me._

_I can't believe you'd ask these things of me._

_You don't know me." _

_~ 'Snow White Queen' by Evanescence_

* * *

The rooms that Loki took her to next were far different from where she had just come from. All around Anja, men in white lab coats rushed about. A single glass room was located in the center of the facility, and the moment Anja saw it she could feel the rush of energy that came from within it.

Anja trailed her hand along the scratched safety glass that housed the Tesseract. It was truly something she had never come across and it intrigued her and frightened her all at the same time. The power that this cube was emitting was simply amazing. It reminded her of the relics in the halls of Odin back in Asgard. All around her, Midgardians milled in and out of the maze of crates and tables that had obviously been set up to accommodate research on the power source.

She was circling the small space that the glass enclosed, watching as a few Midgardian scientists worked ceaselessly to do whatever Loki had ordered them to find or create. One scientist in particular seemed to have exceptional knowledge of the Tesseract, but Anja could not help but notice that he was not entirely in control of his actions. His eyes possessed the same blueish tint that Agent Barton's had.

She finished walking round the glass, her fingers still trailing before she walked back up to Loki. He had been standing a bit away from the energy source, letting her take it in on her own. His face was half in shadow, but she could easily make out a proud smirk on his thin lips when she reached him.

"These people do not seem to have control of their own actions, Loki," she said as she made it back to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist as she kept her eye on the older doctor that had caught her eye. He was an intelligent man, or rather he would have been if he hadn't been under the control of Loki.

Loki let out a chuckle. "Oh, Anja. These people are quite content. I can assure you." She pulled away from him, walking back up to the glass enclosure. These people didn't seem to feel anything, let alone be content. It just did not feel right…

"Ah, Doctor Selvig," Loki's smooth voice rang through the clatter of the room as the older doctor that had been in the case stepped out.

"Yes, My Lord?" the older man- Selvig- asked as he stopped midstream of picking up some sort of tool. He turned to face Loki. Loki motioned for Anja to come back to his side, holding out a long fingered hand for her to take.

"I am ready to hear your report."

Anja watched as the man bowed and retreated, coming back seconds later with a rolled up document. She was not interested in it in the slightest, she quickly found, and she turned back to look at the men surrounding her. Agent Barton was sitting down… and in his lap he was holding a bow of the likes of which she had never seen before. She watched as he adjusted the sights on it, raising it and lowering it to ensure accuracy.

She was unable to shake off the feeling that he reminded her of someone… Memories of her nephew Andrew's face came back to her and she felt an unexpected bout of homesickness. He had held his simple child's bow in nearly the same way as this mortal did…

*o*O*o*

"We have the energy levels secured for now, Sir, but it will be a while before we can jump start her enough to do what you want her to do," Selvig said as he pointed to different points on the diagram of the Tesseract he had drawn. Among the diagrams were the beginnings of the schematics of another type of machine that would enable Loki to open the doors for the Chitauri and their army to enter the realm of Midgard. But according to the mortal scientist, that was a long way off yet.

"Very well," he said quietly as he laced his fingers together. "And… as for the other tests on the girl?" Loki asked this next question in more of a whisper. He looked over at Anja, who was watching everything around her with a studious gaze on the other side of the room.

"Ah, well, I'm no medical doctor, sir, but we are doing the best we can to ensure she remains stable as well. Has she been acting normally?"

Loki gave a stiff nod. She had been none other than his Anja after he had retrieved her from that hallway. The way she had acted beforehand had seemed almost… childlike. He thought about how she had cut down some of his guards. Yes, they had been mortal and obviously weaker than she, but the way she had wielded her magic had been like that of a child, or a frightened animal. Not that he minded that one bit… Now, at least, she seemed to have control. Perhaps it had been the Dark Magic she had used as it left her system.

"The fall shouldn't have harmed her health, Sir, but it may have had other effects. I am not familiar with the methods she used to gain access to Earth. But from what the doctors have been able to tell, she…"

"Yes?" Loki asked after the mortal had wavered. He did not like that in his minions. He expected them to be straightforward when speaking, though always remembering of their low status beneath him.

"Well, she is- for lack of a better word- perfect."

Loki smirked. "Yes, I know that." He spoke more to himself than the old man. He did not expect the mortal to understand the means Anja had used to return to him. Dark Magic had barely touched the realm of Midgard in the human populations.

Selvig seemed to think for a moment. "By that, Sir, I mean she has completely been healed from anything physical she ever experienced to her body. The basic molecular structure of her body has reworked itself against any damage inflicted to it over the course of her life. We are still working on figuring out why that is. No doubt the impact of the journey and the shear amount of energy it took to get here had something to do with it, Sir. As for the physical repercussions other than the healing we are unsure."

Loki looked over at Anja. He had not noticed before, but she was more healthful. Her bone structure had always been larger than that of a typical woman, but now she seemed stronger. Her tan skin, though it had always been beautiful to him, seemed smoother and with more of a glow to her complexion. She looked over at him, those silver eyes penetrating him, body and soul. He smiled slightly before she looked back to the room around her.

"How so?" Loki asked quietly.

Selvig, if he had not been under Loki's control, would have shrugged. Loki could see the semi forced way the mortal kept his shoulders down and suppressed a smile.

"Only time will tell on that subject, Sir."

*o*O*o*

"My Dearest Anja," Loki called to her as he walked back to where she was in the room. Somehow she had seen fit to speak to Agent Barton. A glance at the weapon in the archer's hand told him exactly why that was. She looked up at him as he came to her.

"My bow did not happen to fall with me, did it?" she asked carefully as she left the agent and stood in front of Loki.

Loki smiled. "In fact, it did, My Lady. With the joy and excitement of having you back here I simply forgot."

Anja studied him for a moment. She had a feeling that he had not forgotten about her bow. He had just been ensuring the safety of his mission by keeping her most prized weapon out of her hands. "May I have it back, then?" she asked as she intertwined her fingers with his, her breath ghosting across his lips.

At just her close proximity, he felt the need to go somewhere alone with her… somewhere quite alone. He forced the next words out as he looked into her eyes. "Of course, My Lady." Alone time would have to wait. He had a world to take over.

*o*O*o*

Anja traced her fingers over the cool silver of the bow that Loki had returned to her. It had been two days since she landed in Midgard. She sat cross-legged on the floor of her rooms, running her fingers over the runes that were etched along the length of the silver. The metal steadied her as she thought through the day's occurrences. Her quiver of arrows sat to her left.

She looked down at her smooth hands. She could only guess that the spell she had been toying with had reworked her body's molecular structure and healed it, much like one of her healing spells on a higher level. She was not sure if Dark Magic was capable of such a thing, but at the moment that was all she could come up with.

And then there had been the way Loki had used the mortals. Yes, she had agreed to help him, but how would that change her? How far was she willing to go to ensure his happiness? The way those mortals had been acting was not a state of living… It had been a state of purgatory to the mind. Anja knew in her heart that she would hate to be treated in such a way. It worried her that Loki seemed to hold so much sway over her.

"My Love?" She looked up quickly to see Loki standing in the doorway. She set her bow down gently on the bed behind her as she stood up. Another look in his direction and Anja had to catch her breath. He was dressed in Midgardian clothing, his raven hair clean and slicked back away from his pale face. The dark circles that had been under his eyes were all but gone and the lively emerald of his irises danced as he looked at her. He wore a clean cut suit made out of a deep black material and a green vest peeked through where the suit stopped. He was breathtaking. Even in Midgardian wear, he looked like a king. "I have a surprise for you."

* * *

**oh snap, what's Loki got in mind for her now? ;)**

** I really don't know why, but this chapter was exceedingly difficult to get out. In fact, it was more of a connecting chapter for everything following this. The name of the chapter is Italian and used in classical music terms to define a short, connecting piece in a concert. I thought it suited this type of chapter quite well, actually! **

**Next chapter is already nearly finished… and I promise it will have a whole lot of Loja angst and romance type stuff. ;) It should be up very soon! Remember, this is slightly AU… just throwing that out there as well before we keep moving :D **

**More still to come on Anja's little transformation, I promise. We'll be seeing that next chapter as well. **

**I know a few of you are a bit upset at Anja's character shift, but if you can just bear with me, I promise things will come out right in the end. What I am doing with these characters is crucial to their character development and the relationship as a whole. Bear with it? *looks pleadingly at screen* **

**~Sirius **


	5. Chapter 5: Requiem

"_You belong to me,_

_My snow white queen._

_There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over._

_Soon I know you'll see,_

_You're just like me._

_Don't scream anymore my love,_

_'cause all I want is you."_

_~ 'Snow White Queen'_

* * *

"A surprise?" Anja asked as she sauntered over to him from her spot in the bedroom. "It would not be the fact that you are dressed in such a way would it?" She brought a hand to the lapel of his coat, running her fingers down the expensive material. A grin crossed her features as Loki took her in. He gave out a huff of a laugh in return.

"That is part of it, I must confess," he whispered wickedly in her ear. He reached into his breast pocket, pulling forth two pieces of paper and handing them to her. They were tickets for the London Symphony. Anja's silver eyes looked back up to him in complete confusion.

"Really, Loki? A musical concert when you should be focusing on other things?" She could not deny the want she felt to go to such an event, but it seemed so frivolous given their current situation. "And what of that organization… SHIELD? Will they not be able to find you?"

Loki gave her a small smirk before the emerald eyes before her turned an icy blue and the raven hair he wore sleeked back shortened and lightened to a light brown. To her, he looked the same, but to others… well, it would most certainly put a damper on any form of mortal tracking. She batted him playfully on the shoulders.

"You devil," she said through her smile.

Loki wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him. "I quite like the sound of that," he said quietly in her ear. Anja sobered a bit as she pulled away from him.

"I've nothing to wear, though."

He rolled his eyes as he walked across the room, pulling a black gown at of thin air. It was probably the latest trend in Midgard. "Honestly, Anja. You are a sorceress. Weave your own dress if you so desire it. No one here shall stop you."

Anja could not help but notice that the dress had been pulled out of thin air. Nothing had been manipulated to make it. Loki had simply summoned it. He laid the gown out on the bed for her. She inhaled as she walked over to the black satin. It really was beautiful… and it was most definitely something most Midgardian women would give their eye teeth to simply be able to afford. She looked back up to a smirking Loki. "Do you need help putting it on, My Dear, or shall we simply stare at it all evening? I do believe the music will be more captivating than the simple silk of my magic. "

She shot him a look as she snatched the gown up.

*o*O*o*

Loki watched as Anja finished the last of the hooks on the back of her gown. She was looking at herself in the mirror, completely flabbergast at the style of clothing. Loki liked the fact that it had surprised her. She got to the last of the hooks in the very center of her back and Loki could tell she was struggling with it. Her magic was not to the point where she could control something he made with dark magic yet and she had had to dress the normal way.

He rose from his seat on the bed, walking gracefully up behind her and moving her hands away gently from the black silk. Her eyes met his in the mirror as he felt her shoulders tense up a bit at his closeness and he suppressed a smirk as he lowered his gaze down to her back. The way the hooks gathered the material around her hips accentuated every curve on her and her back arched ever so slightly as his icy fingertips brushed the sensitive skin. If he had not known her body so well, he wouldn't have noticed the way she responded to him.

To test her even further, he brushed her now styled curls over her shoulder, exposing the expanse of flesh on her shoulder and the open back of the dress. If there was one thing he could say for Midgardian women, they certainly knew how to dress…

He finished the hook, resting a hand on either one of her shoulders. She was beauty incarnate, the way she stood there, hands folded in front of her and silver eyes looking back at him in the mirror. Out of nowhere, his lips descended on her shoulder, working their way up at a torturously slow rate to the crook of her neck. When she let out a slight whimper and her head fell back to his shoulder, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back to his chest and enjoying the feel of her body against his. One of her hands went to his hair… and he was a bit amazed when she summoned a bit of magic to return it to the black it had been. The amazement quickly went away as he went back to her skin. He How he had missed the feel of her… the taste of her… The subtle scent of lavender reached his senses and he very nearly lost control.

"We really must be going," he said finally as he pulled away and turned her to face him. Her eyes were glazed over slightly, but she nodded as he extended a hand to her.

This trip was not merely a frivolous excursion. He knew it was the perfect way to lure Anja out into the world of Midgard. Yes, she had seen the mortals under his command, but they were not the same as the mortals that were oblivious to their own impending domination. He wanted her to see just how much order was needed to be brought to the world. He wanted to ensure that she saw them for what they were: mindless, simple pests…

Part of him also wanted to show her how much fun it could be to mess with them.

*o*O*o*

The symphony hall was packed with mortals. Anja and Loki used magic to get there, Anja keeping with her traditional ways of using molecular manipulation to shift at will from one point to another. She was unsure of how Loki reached the hall, but it was most definitely not by the means she had used.

He led her through the crowd, his hand never letting hers go. The mortals seemed to shy away from them as they passed, and Anja contributed most of it to Loki's longer hair. She had insisted he keep it its normal length and color for her. In her heart, she knew they could tell that there was something different about the strange couple that towered over even the tallest men, even without the long dark hair of her companion.

Loki pulled their two tickets from his breast pocket, handing them to the usher. A funny look crossed his emerald eyes as he looked at the mortal. The usher was young, probably in his twenties in mortal years, and Anja smiled at him charmingly as he pointed them to their seats. Before they went anywhere, Anja felt Loki tense slightly before bringing Anja even closer, looping her arm through his. She did not miss the cruel smile he gave the mortal.

She glanced up at Loki's face as they walked to the box. "What are you smirking about?" she asked playfully. A broad smirk had indeed crossed her companion's face as they had walked away from the young man.

He looked down at her, the smile gone, but his eyes still amused. He simply shook his head as he went through the crowd. She tried very desperately not to roll her eyes. He did not speak until he was holding the door to their box open for her to walk through. "That man taking our tickets out there was wondering what it would be like to have you in his bed tonight," Loki said with that smile back on his face as she sat down. "I found it pathetically amusing for him to even begin to think himself worthy of one such as you."

Loki nearly laughed out loud to see Anja's silver eyes grow as big as saucers. "What?"

"I can assure you, if I thought there was any danger of him stealing you away from me I would split his skull right then and there." Anja did not cringe at that statement like she would have back in Asgard. How had Loki's views of the human race become her own all of the sudden? She snapped out of it, but was still not bothered by her lover's evil statement. "Mortals are so easy to read. Their thoughts are so simple. His favorite part about you was your legs…" By this time he had sat down beside her in the plush seats and was able to trail a gloved hand up her thigh. She batted it away quickly, a blush flooding her cheeks.

"You really shouldn't do that, Loki," she said quietly. "Taking advantage of that poor man." Her conscience was starting to pipe up.

Loki looked at her flatly. "You wouldn't be saying such things if you knew the images that 'poor man' had going through his head." He leaned in to graze her ear lobe with his teeth and smiled to see her shiver. "It's a good thing I already know all about you… and that you exceed that mortal's expectations in every way, shape, and form." He had moved to the spot under her ear as he growled that last part, his cold lips barely brushing the skin as he inhaled her scent. His nose brushed the small diamond drop earing she wore and the cold of the metal brushed against the tender skin beneath her ear. "I wonder… has your delve into dark magic changed you at all in more… intimate ways?" She closed her eyes as his hand began to wander again.

Anja did not like where this conversation was going and his cold breath cascading over her neck only made it harder. Gods, the feelings he could stir within her with a simple touch were overpowering. They were quite alone… perhaps… No. This was not the time or place and she was not ready to succumb to him completely once more.

Besides, Selvig had spoken with her the day before, telling her of the tests that had been run on her when she fell. The magic she had used had healed her in every way, proving her own suspicions correct when it came to the scars on her person. But there was something else that had her wondering and she knew it was burning in Loki's thoughts as well.

Selvig had told her that she was as new as the day she was born. She wondered if that meant her… virginity was reinstated. She knew Loki probably thought her to be a virgin again. He, being in control of the scientist, probably knew even more than she did on that matter. Loki was probably driving himself mad in his want to take it from her again and she liked the bit of power she knew she held over him when it came to that subject.

"Loki, we are at a symphony. Please, contain yourself," Anja said as she pulled away again. She did not let how hard it was to pull away from him show in her face and Loki withdrew with a chuckle.

"As you wish, My Queen," he whispered. The symphony began shortly after that. It was centered primarily around the works of the Midgardian composer, Mozart. Anja had read about the famous Midgardian composer, but had never actually heard any of his works. Midgardian recordings had always been hard to come by in Asgard and her trips to Midgard with The Academy had not given her the opportunity to hear anything of the sorts. She was reminded again of the countless wars she had seemed forced to study. Ever since the beginning of this realm, wars had been a dominant part of its cultures…

But was Asgard any different?

Her favorite piece came with the Requiem. It was as if the music latched onto her heart and did not let go. She felt the unexpected bout of homesickness hit her in a wave as the piece embedded itself in her soul. She felt tears prick in her eyes to think that her son was all alone in Asgard, probably under the impression that his parents had abandoned him. Selena would care for him, this she knew, but she still felt horrible about her own irresponsibility. She sniffled a little bit and Loki's hand found hers in the semidarkness of the theater box, giving it a light squeeze. His flesh was warm.

*o*O*o*

The program passed and the lights gave off a soft glow as the symphony ended. Anja made to stand up, but a cold hand grabbed her wrist to keep her in her seat. "Stay," he growled.

Anja shivered again as he pulled her a bit closer. "I want you to probe one of these mortal's minds, take control of it." Loki's voice was a mere whisper, yet Anja could hear him over the din of the couples and families making to leave. Anja turned her gaze to Loki. Surely she couldn't. It was so… invasive…Yet he seemed to have nary a problem doing it. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his mouth at her ear. "How about that one?" he asked darkly, indicating a tall woman leaving the theater with a man that was obviously her husband. Anja looked at Loki again and he gave her a reassuring nod. "Focus on her thoughts, feel her mind out with your magic, and go from there. As I said, mortals are not very complicated."

Anja bit her bottom lip, nodding as she turned back to the floor below her. She took in the woman's blonde head as the woman neared the entrance... and a young boy caught up with her from somewhere in the crowd, grabbing his mother's hand as they wove in and out of the mortals below.

"I… can't," she said quietly. She had honestly been trying to do so, she had just been unable to gaint he correct amount of focus… Loki holding her like this was enough to make her forget everything completely. It was a miracle she was still coherent.

But it was also quite possible that the sight of the family had struck something in her. They had seemed too innocent to take advantage of…

Loki shrugged, kissing her temple as he let her go. "No matter, there is so much time to teach you this side of your magic, My Love. Once this world is ours we will have all the time in the world." He glanced down at a golden wristwatch. "It is high time we left, though, My Darling. SHIELD will no doubt have found out about where I am and will want to take me into custody."

Not yet. He wasn't ready for that stage of his plan just yet.

Anja looked over to him. "Loki, there is still time. Why not use the Tesseract to go home? Aric needs us." She spoke softly and Loki's face hardened at her sudden change in mood. Where had that come from? Just seconds ago he had nearly had her seeing eye to eye with him.

"We are back to that little issue, are we?" he hissed. "Anja. I have no true home. Our son will join us when I have finished what I have started here. Things have been set in motion that you cannot possibly understand. The things I have seen… the things I have done to get to where I am… the chance for me to turn back was lost a long time ago."

Anja took his hand, forcing him to look at her. "Loki, your home is at my side. I lost you once, I shan't lose you again."

He scoffed as he pulled his hand away. "Anja, my decision holds firm."

She looked at him for a brief moment, before turning on her heal and walking out of the box.

*o*O*o*

"Anja," Loki said as he caught up with her. He took her hand again as he stopped her in her tracks. "Forgive me." They were outside by now, out of view of any of the mortals.

Anja chewed on her lower lip as her silver eyes penetrated his. "Loki, I do not wish to lose you as I did a year ago."

"You won't," he said, slipping into a tender tone he only took when speaking to her. "Please." He pulled something out of the air, a wisp of dark magic trailing from his fingertips before forming a single rose. He held it out to her. "Let me prove it to you."

Anja shook her head, smiling faintly.

His gaze never left hers as a pale hand went up to cup her cheek. "Anja…" He kept the rose suspended between them, waiting on her to take it. "It shall be fun… No taking advantage of mortals for now, I promise."

She seemed to deliberate a minute longer before taking the rose and, along with it, his hand.

* * *

**Okay, can I just say that I am very pleased with this chapter? Haha I think it is my favorite so far in this story, actually! **

**Oh, and kudos to those who can figure out why that particular piece in Mozart's requiem made Anja so emotional… *hem hem* … it's pretty important to a certain name of a certain story… ;) **


	6. Chapter 6: Counterpoint

"_Do you wonder why you hate? _

_Are you still too weak to survive your mistakes?"_

_~ 'Sweet Sacrifice' by Evanescence_

* * *

"Okay, open your eyes," Loki said quietly.

Anja's silver eyes opened slowly before her vision lighted on the gardens that Loki had taken her to. They were quite alone and the expanse of flowerbeds and trees brought back memories of the gardens in Asgard. The moon was high in the sky by now as it was very late, and the black silk of her gown rustled in the lamp lit air. She looked to him, smiling slightly.

"So, am I forgiven?" he asked delicately as he laced his fingers with hers. They were standing at the very entrance of the gardens, in front of the sign that read something about some sort of botanical gardens. Midgardian growers certainly were just as skilled as Asgard's and she took in the beautiful grounds and patchworks of flower beds.

She looked back up to him, answering him with a small peck to his lips before walking at a brisk pace down the walkway. Somewhere, she could hear the sound of water.

*o*O*o*

The pond she found was nothing compared to the waters of Asgard, yet it enchanted her all the same. The night was quiet save for the single spout of water forming at the center of the fountain. There was a small gazebo to the left of the dark expanse and the sound of crickets reached her ears.

It was gorgeous to her, but the look on Loki's face when he made it to her side said he thought otherwise. She looked back up to him, eyes full of innocence as she took his hand. "I want to work with the water again," she said quietly. It had been so long since she had practiced with the most basic of molecular manipulations and she wanted to see where she stood with it now that she knew so much more about her craft. It also just felt like the thing to do. She wouldn't admit it to Loki, but since she had landed in Midgard, she had felt almost shaky without the water she loved so well.

She inhaled slowly, eyes closed as she raised her arms up. She could still feel Loki behind her, but he had not advanced on her like she had expected him to. He remained on the walkway, merely observing. She stood at the very edge of the water letting the coolness lap at her toes after she discarded her shoes.

To her happiness, the water rose to meet her fingertips with all the ease of when she had been in Asgard. She smiled as she looped the stream through the air, looking every bit the part of a dark swan in her evening gown as it splayed gracefully behind her. When she finished the maneuver, she turned around to face Loki. He was smiling faintly. She felt a sudden rush of strength return to her as she took a step towards him. This was what she had needed. The spell she had used to get her had worn her spirits thin, like too little jam stretched over a big piece of toast. Only now that she had resumed her normal magic did she feel whole again.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked casually as she walked back up to him.

He shrugged, taking her hand. "I once told you your happiness was contagious, did I not?"

She smiled again as his smirk turned into a full-blown grin. She tried and failed to overlook the dark cloud that still weighed in his emerald eyes even when he smiled. He was not the same, even now that they were in a vaguely familiar setting…

"My Love, I still worry for you… and your well-being." Her voice was soft as it reached him through the sound of the fountain's music. Her fingers lightly touched the dark circles that had formed under his eyes again. She watched his face, taking in the slight tensing of his jaw at her words.

"Anja, I promise you shall not lose me." He took a hold of either side of her face, forcing her to look at him. She could not meet his eyes. Not when they held this sense of darkness… Yes, dark magic had changed her… but it had changed him so much more.

Anja looked down and his hands released their grip on her. "Do you realize how false that sounds to my ears?" she asked quietly. "I have seen what you think of this realm. How do I know-"

"You don't," he cut her off, closing the distance again. "Anja, I will love you no matter what crosses our paths. I will not abandon you again as I did in Asgard." He was almost certain he could keep that promise. His victory was assured with the great army he had recruited. It was merely a matter of regaining control of the Tesseract's power, something that was very close to being within his grasp. "You will be my queen, and I your king and we shall have gardens even better than the ones in Asgard to raise our son in." His voice was too smooth as he spoke, no longer gentle, merely scheming and entirely too convincing. His silver tongue tainted the sweetness that came from his lips.

The more she met his gaze, the more she felt like crying. Where was the sweet and gentle lover she had once had? The man that stood before her was not him. She saw anger, jealousy, and lust in his eyes. There was something else as well… Could it be fear?

"By what means shall you overtake this realm, Loki?" she asked quietly. He had yet to tell her what army he had up his sleeve and she wondered how she could be so foolish as to not ask him sooner. The fall had taken a lot out of her both mentally and physically. Only now that she had rejuvenated herself with the pure essence of her craft did she feel completely alert for the first time. She remembered now why she had always turned to it in the dark hours of the night.

He looked at the inky patch of water before them. "You shall have to trust me on this one, Love. That is my business. Come, let us take a turn about the gardens, then we must be getting back, My Queen." The night had not gone the way he had expected it to, but, then again, what was he to expect from his little skylark? That was what drew him to her so. Her ability to see him clearly, but still return to him despite who he was. Her love was the only constant to his now extremely precarious life.

Before Anja could react, Loki had taken her arm and was walking briskly down the stone path that led back to the flower beds. He was hiding something from her. This wasn't over.

*o*O*o*

The next day, Anja found herself taking walks through the bunker that Loki had set up to house the Tesseract. He had left her that morning to check on the cube's progress and she had found herself with some much needed alone time. Well, if one could call being surrounded by men under Loki's control alone.

Everywhere she turned, she saw men in either white lab coats or bullet proof vests. She walked precariously down the underground hallways, dodging men left and right. Just down the hallway, she could make out the sounds of the lab that the Tesseract was in. Loki had disappeared quite quickly once they made it back to the bunker the night before. He had not come to bed either, preferring to remain with the Tesseract.

With a sigh, she made her way down the hall, feeling very cramped in the dark space. When she reached the doorway, she could make out Loki's figure sitting to the side as the men around him worked. Selvig and Agent Barton were with the Tesseract, but Loki seemed to be entirely disengaged from what was going on. She felt a sudden rush of dark magic hit her, pulling at her in a way that resembled a black hole towards Loki. It had no more physical effect on her than a simply breeze would have, but what she felt in her mind was far different.

She remained where she stood, watching him as he took in a deep breath and a glazed look fell over his eyes.

*o*O*o*

_ "The Chitauri grow restless."_

_ Loki suppressed a shiver as he submerged himself completely in communication with the Chitauri. As the scene of mortal scientists melted away and another world of asteroids and deep space appeared in his vision, a creature that had called himself The Other spoke to him. But now was not the time to show weakness. Now he needed to focus on what was at hand. He needed to ensure that his benefactors were still supporting him and this was all he knew to do._

_ "Let them goad themselves," he said arrogantly as his fully armored form stepped forth. "I will lead them in glorious battle." _

_ The Other scoffed, creeping forth from the shadows of the stone ledge he had landed on. "Glorious? Against the meager might of earth?" _

_ Loki allowed himself a small smirk. "Glorious. Not lengthy. That is, of course, if your force is as formidable as you claim." There, that was a nice little jab at this rat. _

_ "You question us? You question him? He who out the scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose?" The figure was taunting him as well and Loki looked out into the vast wasteland of space as the figure spoke. He was in no mood for this and what the figure said next made him nearly lose his concentration. "When you were cast out, defeated!"_

_ "I was a king!" Loki said dramatically. "Betrayed." _

_ "Your ambition is little, full of childish need. We look beyond the Earth to greater worlds the Tesseract will unveil." The figure spoke calmly again as he too looked out into the distance as if he could see what the Tesseract would unleash. _

_ Loki, ever the wordsmith, spoke up. The arrogance of this bastard was overwhelming. It very nearly rivaled his own. _

_ "You don't have the Tesseract yet." He held his ground as The Other's head snapped around to look at him and he raised a hand as if to strike Loki. " I don't threaten," Loki said as he relished in the reaction of the creature. " But until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words." _

_ The creature fell back a bit before moving to walk around behind Loki. The calmness that fell upon the crater was not soothing. It was a reminder of the quiet lethality that he was dealing with. "You will have your war, Asgardian. If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice, where he cannot find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain." Loki tried very hard not to cringe as the thing's disgusting hand wrapped around the side of his head as it spoke… and a rush of energy sent him spiraling back to the realm of Midgard. _

He came back to his senses in Midgard, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain of the dark magic leaving him at such a fast rate. When he opened his eyes again, Anja was looking at him from across the room.

*o*O*o*

Anja bit her lip as she picked her way through the tables and men. When she made it to Loki, she looked at him with fearful eyes, sitting down on the ground next to him. His head still hurt a bit, and she smoothed his hair as she saw this.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

He looked back at her, his emerald gaze clouded. "Of course."

She looked down at her hands in her lap. "I felt a high concentration of dark energy, Loki. What were you doing?" She knew she should not be surprised, but she was uncertain of how to react to what she had felt. He had been talking to someone… someone bigger and more powerful than himself.

"Anja, leave me be. That is my business. You have no reason to meddle in it." He did not notice the harshness of his words as he spoke them. He was still preoccupied with the meeting he had just come from.

Anja looked back at him. "Loki-"

"Anja, all you need to know is that we are ready to take this world. My sources are my own." He looked out at the people before him, taking in the sight of mortals working on the Tesseract. That was his bargaining piece. That simple, cube of energy. That was all he needed…

He did not notice as the one thing he truly needed got up and left the room. Darkness penetrated his thoughts as his mind went over what he was going to do when the Tesseract was ready for activation on the portal.

His army would come. He would be king.

*o*O*o*

The day ended on a rather uneventful note. Anja sat in Loki's quarters, cross-legged on his couch. In her hands, a single flame burned bright as she focused on maintaining its size. This was another form of her magic that always calmed her. After the day's rather nasty turn of events, she had turned to her traditional magic. It left her feeling at peace, and required enough concentration to keep her mind off of her current situation.

She ignored the booted footsteps that resonated in the hallway outside the door, her gaze fixed completely on the little bit of warmth in her hands. How could Loki keep things from her? She was his betrothed, soon to be his queen, and he still did not see fit to tell her the entirety of his plans...

"Ah, My Little Skylark," Loki's voice reached her ears, yet she retained her gaze on the flame. From her peripheral vision, she could see him walk over to the bed, removing the top layer of his armor. "That is quite a nice little flame there."

Anja bit her lip, keeping her concentration as the flame threatened to die on her. It went out, despite her best efforts, and she looked over to him. She was still irritated with him about what the energy she had felt that he had neglected to tell her meant. "Tell me, Loki. What was troubling you earlier?"

He paused, his back to her before he stripped his boots off of his feet with a wave of his hand. "Anja, I told you not to worry about that." He stripped from his shirt, and Anja noticed several light scars marring his alabaster back. "Come to bed."

"I am not tired," she replied dryly.

He turned to face her, and she did not miss the wolfish grin on his face as he walked slowly over to her. "Well, that is a fortunate coincidence, then," he growled as he sank down next to her on the couch. She tensed when he kissed her cheek. "Because I find myself wide awake as well." His hand moved to her hip and she pulled away slightly. He felt her resistance. "Come now, Anja," he said playfully. "Do not be such a child." He nipped her ear lobe.

"I daresay fearing dark magic is not childlike, Loki," she forced out as she tried to stand up. His arms around her waist stopped her as he pulled her back down to him, rolling her onto her back with a flick of his wrist and pinning her wrists beside her head on the couch. She lost her breath when his lips brushed hers delicately. "Let me go," she said quietly.

"I find this more accommodating, actually," he whispered darkly as his hand trailed down her side. She did not fail to notice that he had situated himself in a rather intimate place between her legs. She could already feel what he wanted through the rough material of his pants as it brushed up against her. She was still fully clothed, but her dress had ridden up to her hips at some point. His bare chest was so close to her own that she could feel his heat. She suppressed a groan when he grinded his hips against hers.

She was breathing rapidly as he grinded against her again. This was a battle she would surely lose if she did not get out of the situation soon. He moved to her neck, kissing her slowly and biting the tender flesh sweetly.

When he grinded against her again, she felt her legs wrap around his waist and his lips smiled at the base of her throat, finally happy to have gotten a response from her. He let her wrists go.

She took full advantage of that. Her legs wrapped around his torso even tighter and as quick as a flash she had rolled him off of her, landing him on his back as they fell from the couch. She had not intended for him to wrap his hands around her knees and force her down with him.

He still looked a bit dumbfounded as the air whooshed from his lungs and his back made contact with the hard floor, but his grip on her remained firm. She was straddling him now.

"Not nice, My Dear," he whispered hoarsely as a smile returned. Darkness still sat like a thunder cloud in his eyes and she fought the desire that was building up within her. He would surely give her what she wanted, what she needed, but this was not how she wanted him. She wanted him to be her Loki. She wanted the love she knew he was capable of, not the lust that drove him now. In that moment, she had no intention of letting this go any further. She smiled sweetly as she looked down at him. Her hands rested on his bare chest as it heaved up and down beneath her and his eyes went wide as she taunted him even more, leaning into his chest and moving against him. She felt him tense as she moved further up his body. This was merely a game, nothing more.

"I'm getting up now," she whispered in his ear. He came back to his senses, and before she knew it he had her on her back again. "Let me go."

"Force me to," he growled.

She looked at him, her hands resting firmly at her side. "How?"

She felt his tongue at her neck and her eyes rolled back in her head. When had it gotten so hot? "You know how," he said darkly. "In your heart, you know how to get me off of you, how to make everythin exactly as you please."

She could not stand it any longer. This was not what she wanted, yet her body gave into his physical attentions so easily. Her frustration shot through her head like a bolt of lightning… and before she could stop herself, she had lashed out at him with her mind. Dark magic sprang from her and landed in the middle of his chest as her silver eyes glowed to a reflective state. He landed next to her, a foot's distance seperating them.

The heat pulsing within her subsided as her blood turned to ice at the sound of him laughing.

* * *

**Ok, I apologize for my recent lack of updates. I had several huge swim meets back to back this week and I have not had the time or energy to write. Hopefully this will make up for it? **

**On another note, I will be going on vacation this saturday for a week. I will have very little access to the internet so updates may not be up for a while. I will try to update before I go, though, so this little chapter will be explained in more detail. **

**Movie scenes will be coming up soon and from there the story will really start to pick up. :D **

**Please leave me a review! Haha would it help if I told you my birthday was this week? XD **

**Thanks for the amazing support so far, you guys. Yall are just… awesome. That's what you are. Awesome :D **

**~Sirius **


	7. Chapter 7: Animato

"_Now there's no holding back, I'm making to attack._

_My blood is singing with your voice, I want to pour it out._

_The saints can't help me now, the ropes have been unbound._

_I hunt for you with bloody feet across the hallowed ground"_

_~ 'Howl' by Florence+ The Machine_

* * *

The laugh that ripped from Loki's chest echoed around the room, chilling Anja to her core. Her breast heaved with the exertion calling upon those forces had taken, and a cold sweat was forming on her skin, seeping through the bodice of her gown as the chills came in waves over her spine. She stayed where she was on the ground, unmoving as Loki sat up next to her and took her hand to brush his lips across it. She didn't have the energy to snatch it away… or the will.

He looked down at her panting form, feeling only the slightest bit of guilt in the deepest recesses of his mind for causing her this discomfort. It had been his plan all along to force her into using her darker side. When she had failed to perform at the symphony he had launched a new plan, one that he would win something either way.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly as she regained her composure.

A tear was in her now normal eyes as she looked at him. She swallowed hard as she blinked back the tears in her eyes. "Who are you? Where has my Loki gone?" The voice was so child-like, so innocent, that Loki's heart nearly stopped to see her in such a state.

At that, his gaze softened and he helped her to her feet. She was trembling, but he could also feel a strong current of dark energy coursing through her. "I am here, My Skylark," he said tenderly. "I promise." She watched as the darkness in his emerald eyes lifted momentarily and she was able to catch a glimpse of the man she loved. He stroked a tender hand down her jaw and it did not escape her notice that it felt like ice. He brought his forehead to hers, recreating the loving feelings she had always held for him.

She was not sure if this Loki hurt her more or less. To feel him like she once had now that she knew the dark magic he was capable of…

"You did wonderful, My Darling. You are so powerful…" His voice was a growl as his breath ghosted across his lips. He took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "Embrace that feeling, Anja. Let that power take hold of you and then you will be free."

Anja heard his words, taking them in with a quiet perceptiveness. As much as her morals screamed out against his reasoning, there was something intoxicating about the feel of his power. She knew that was what he wanted her to see, what he wanted her to accept as truth… and in the depths of her soul, she knew one of her darkest desires was to have that control, to know everything there was to know about her craft. His words had caused her to resent her teachers at the Academy for leaving such a crucial part of her education missing. Knowledge had always been what she craved… now here she had a man offering her the chance to experiment openly with it, take the world for her own, and rule with him…

She reigned her thoughts in very quickly, snapping out of the ideas that had popped into her head. This was Loki's way of manipulating her. She had seen him do it countless times to countless people. But there was something so… right… about letting go.

He was still looking into her eyes as she thought through what he had said. "You cannot fight it, Anja, darkness is within you. And, sooner or later, it will break free on its own as you have just proven."

"That was unfair-"

He laughed, pressing a single finger to her lips to silence her. "You will always have me to turn to, Anja, that I promise. One day soon, you will discover your full potential." Somehow, through this entire twisted conversation, his eyes had retained the light she loved so well. He really believed what he was saying to her. Then he trailed a hand down her waist. "Now, where were we?"

She raised a hand in an attempt to snag away from his grasp, but he caught it, planting a kiss on the inside of her wrist. She felt his tongue slide across her pulse. "Come now, Anja…" he growled against her skin. "How long has it been since we were together?" He raised his head, her hand still caught in his iron grip as the wet spot he had left on her wrist grew chilled in the air. Her arousal was undeniable now. The light in his eyes was still there… She wanted to melt, but whether it be into the floor or into him she was uncertain.

In her mind, she knew the answer to his question. _Too long. _

She tensed still as his hand brushed across her breasts. His eyes flickered to hers and she knew exactly what he was pleading_. _

_Please Anja,_ _Let me love you…. And let yourself love me._

His words from their first intimate encounter in the gardens struck her and she knew he was trying to ask the same thing now. It left her breathless, remembering a time so long ago to her. But this was something entirely different. Now, she was playing with a whole new level of danger and passion. This could lead to her own undoing, far worse than a love affair with a prince of Asgard. But gods she wanted it. She could not deny him anymore than he could her…

"Anja," he whispered as his hand trailed over her collarbone and rested at the v of her gown's neckline. With a tug and a bit of normal magic, he had the bit of fabric removed, exposing her undergarments to him. His hand went to cup her breast. She was still tense as he trailed the other hand over the back of her brazier. "Anja, trust me…" He looked down at her, her breath now ragged from something other than dark magic. He had to confess that the Midgardian undergarments she had on certainly were more provocative than a simple corset. She pulled away again, but he was persistent. "You know you want me to touch you, My Little Skylark," he whispered as he pulled her into him. "Just as you wish to see the control of this world at your fingertips." He kissed down her jaw, never meeting her lips. "And do you know what the best part of this scenario is, My Darling?" he growled as his hot breath filled her earlobe. "You can have both." Her back arched as she pressed herself involuntarily into his hand at her breast.

"Loki," she whimpered. This was so much different from how she had been intending the evening to go.

"Shh," he said soothingly as he kissed down her throat. "I will take care of you, My Love."

She shivered as her eyes closed. This was what she wanted, what she needed. The moment was so sweet… She felt him move behind her, nudging her gently towards the bed…

*o*O*o*

Anja lay with her head resting on Loki's chest. His thundering heart slowed beneath her ear and she kept her hand draped across his waist as his breathing slowed. Her suspicions had held true about her virginity and now she felt an even stronger bond grow between her and the man beneath her. She felt a dull throbbing between her legs that travelled up into her belly and she wondered idly if she would be able to walk when she had to get up. He had been gentle the first time, but the second… and the third… She closed her eyes.

"Are you awake?" his voice reached her and her eyes snapped open.

"Yes," she replied evenly despite the unsteadiness that she felt. She sat up as if to prove it to him and automatically felt his fingertips along her spine, trailing down each vertebra like chimes. She arched involuntarily and let out a gasp as she felt his lips on her back, working down agonizingly slow.

"As much as I hate to admit it, My Darling, we really should get up now." He had pulled away from her, swinging the covers off of his body and his clothing appearing on his body with a wave of his hand. Anja nodded, attempting to do the same with her own magic. "Ah-ah," his voice chided. "There is a better way."

She bit her lower lip, deliberating a moment. "I do not know how."

He chuckled. "Use your imagination, Anja."

She closed her eyes, thinking of a gown that would suit her needs… Sure enough, seconds later, a simple gown had appeared on her body. Loki nodded approvingly, promising himself that he would use his own means later to get it off of her. But his work was calling. He needed to move forward with his plan. Everything else would simply have to wait.

*o*O*o*

The room that housed the Tesseract seemed even more lively than usual. Loki sauntered through it, creeping through his men like a serpent. He could make out the sound of men talking and his beloved Anja sitting with the old doctor and Agent Barton.

"Just put it over there," Doctor Selvig said in a jovial tone to a rather gruff looking group of workers that were carrying a crate.

Anja seemed slightly perplexed by the glowing cube and Loki decided to watch from his place in the shadows. Anja remained silent as her silver eyes reflected off of the blue glow of the Tesseract.

Agent Barton was looking at a portable screen of some sort. "Where did you find all of these people?" Selvig asked as he picked up a wrench.

"SHIELD has no shortage of enemies, Doctor," Barton said quickly. The agent did not seem nearly as happy as Selvig. Anja glanced over at him, taking in the image that had popped up on the screen before Barton had slammed it against the glass that Selvig was in so the doctor could see. "This the stuff you need?" It was an image of a metallic looking substance and Anja barely recognized it as a metal alloy found in the outer asteroid fields of space if her astronomy served her correctly.

"Yeah, Iridium. It's found in meteorites. It forms anti-protons. It's very hard to get hold of."

Anja looked between the two men as they spoke, taking in the conversation with a scholar's intelligence and interest. This was growing very interesting to her, no doubt, and Loki moved forward from his position.

"Yeah," Barton said gruffly. "Especially if SHIELD knows you need it." Anja wrinkled her brow at the mention of SHIELD. She was still unclear of who or what they were. All she knew was that they were an organization that Loki was trying to avoid.

"What is SHIELD?" she asked absently to Doctor Selvig. The older man, despite the obvious enchantment he was under, had grown to be rather interesting to talk to during her stay here.

Before he answered her, though, Loki came swooping in out of nowhere. "Hey, the Tesseract has shown me so much. It's- it's more than knowledge. It's truth." Anja could not help but notice as Loki's eyes lit up at the sight of this mortal groveling before him. Her brow wrinkled as she took the two in.

"I know," Loki said coolly, with the usual sense of arrogance slipping into his tone as well. "What did it show you, Agent Barton?" Loki said as he turned to the assassin. He looped an arm around Anja's waist as the agent answered.

"My next target," Barton said quickly.

"Tell me what you need," he said almost passionately. Anja looked up at him and he smiled at her reassuringly.

"I need a distraction." Barton had walked over to a case before whipping out a contractible bow of the likes of which Anja had never seen before. "And an eyeball."

Loki smirked, having already read Barton's mind beforehand. He turned to Anja. "My Lady Anja. Go find yourself something stunning to wear. We have another party to go to tonight."

* * *

**Ok, so this chapter literally wrote itself. I sat down to type it and next thing I knew Loki and Anja had gotten all lovie-dovie again. I figured what the heck, why not? Haha. Next chapter may be a little while, but we got some Deutschland coming up! :D And, of course, a whole lot of Loja angst… ;) **

**~Sirius **


	8. Chapter 8: Lacrimosa

**Hazaa! So look who found internet for her laptop! This chapter is actually extremely important to the whole story and I am glad I can get it to yall sooner than I anticipated. :) **

* * *

"_Blame it on me._

_Set your guilt free._

_Nothing can hold you back now."_

_~ Lacrymosa' by Evanescence_

* * *

Anja studied her face carefully in the make-shift looking glass in Loki's quarters. Every bit of her seemed a stranger to her own eyes. She was unsure of whether or not it had to do with the dark magic she had been meddling in or if she was just unused to herself in Midgardian make-up. Her dark curls were pulled away from her face in a careful up-do and she wore the black dress Loki had summoned for her on the night of the symphony. On the bed, her bow and arrows sat, ready and charmed to remain hidden from detection on her back from any eyes but hers.

She slipped the silver over her shoulder carefully, the quivers going on next. She felt empowered with her weapons safely on her back and she took a deep breath as she stabilized her thoughts. A movement to her right caught her attention and she turned to look at it swiftly from her stance before the mirror.

A single shadow in the shape of a raven was in the far left corner of the room and it was enough to make her heart skip a beat before it was gone. There was no way that an actual bird could have entered the rooms. The All-Father knew she was here... and he knew to keep an eye on her as well as Loki.

*o*O*o*

"I will maintain a distraction upstairs, Agent Barton," Loki said swiftly as he finished going through his plan with the assassin. "But I need your assurance that you will be focused on gaining access to the Iridium." Loki was standing at the entrance of the bunker, a quinjet ready to take his men to their destination of Stuttgart. That was where the Iridium was, where Loki's plan would finally come together.

Barton looked at Loki, nodding. "You can count on that, sir. I don't half-ass anything."

Loki tried not to roll his eyes at Barton's choice of words. It seemed, despite the spell, that the seasoned assassin had found a way for some of his personality to show through.

"It pleases me to hear that." Loki looked towards the door for Anja. She had not shown herself yet and he contemplated going to retrieve her. Time was of the essence after all. Agent Barton handed Loki a small metallic device, one he quickly pocketed in his breast pocket as Anja appeared in the doorway. She did not need to know of this particular gruesome detail. It did not trouble Loki in the slightest to think of what the device would soon be used for, but Anja was still growing accustomed to his way of thinking. Besides, no true king exposed his queen to every particular horror that maintenance of power required. Anja was better than that… He had even considered if it would be better for her to remain in the safety of the bunker while he went out. But then he did not plan on returning for a while and he wanted her to be by his side when the war began and the Chitauri invaded.

"Ah, My Lady," he addressed her as she walked through the door. She had not taken him lightly when he had told her to find something stunning to wear. The dress she now wore made memories of the night before flash through his mind at the speed of light. How could a simple woman do this to him? He was Loki, God of Mischief and Lies… yet an unfathomable love for this woman haunted his every move, every breath. And it was the same for her. He could sense that. Every move she made, every word that crossed her perfect lips were aimed to please him. She cared for him in a way that his family never had.

She walked up to him, smiling as he extended an arm to her and she took it. "Where are we going, tonight?" she asked quietly as Barton boarded the jet and prepared to take off. She looked from the vehicle to Loki, slightly confused. "Are they coming as well?" she asked hesitantly.

"You mustn't worry, pet," he replied. The contraption in his pocket weighed heavily against his chest as a reminder of the truth he was concealing. "Tis a party, nothing more." He pulled her closer, concentrating on his magic as he prepared to send them straight to Stuttgart.

*o*O*o*

Germany certainly lived up to the descriptions Anja had read about in her studies. Though it was night time, the city was buzzing with people in all forms of clothing. Despite what Loki would have her think about the people of Midgard, Anja could not help but feel affection for the ways that they occupied their time. Families ate dinner together on a patio not far from where Loki was leading her. A huge building was filling quickly with people dressed in a similar fashion to their own… a party that was heavily guarded now that she took a closer look.

They entered without any problem, and Loki did not seem to be keeping his presence hidden. He strutted arrogantly through the crowd, a staff in one arm and her at his other. The mortals regarded them with the same hesitance as the ones at the symphony had. Instead of leading her to where the party was, however, Loki veered off after they entered, taking her down a deserted hallway and up a flight of stairs. This was not typical protocol for a party, whether it be Asgard or Midgard alike.

Loki had yet to tell her what they were doing here. She stopped in her tracks, and his iron grip on her arm stopped him as well when he realized she had stopped. "Loki, what are we doing here?" she asked seriously. "And you cannot tell me we are here to drink and be merry."

"Anja, do not worry. We are quite fine."

Her nostrils flared at that, meeting his gaze. She was wearing heals, and they were very nearly nose to nose in height. "Don't you dare tell me not to worry, Loki. I have had quite enough of that from you."

Loki chuckled as he tried to drag her along. She did not budge and he turned back to face her. "Anja, do not be so petulant." He was looking at her like she was a disobedient child and she felt a flush form in her cheeks with her anger. How dare he treat her in such a way!

She snatched her hand away, anger finally rising in her. "I trust you, Loki, but I need to know what we are doing here. You cannot lie to me. You should know that by now."

His eyes flashed as well, and he glanced at the party below them. A classical bit of music had begun and a few of the mortals were dancing. He shot her a small smirk as he moved closer to her. Anja could easily detect the unmistakable Mozart piece that the quartet had picked up from their place atop the balcony. "It really is such a fine party, Anja. It'd be a shame to waste the night on something so petty as an argument." He had looped her arm through his again as they descended the stairs. Checking a golden pocket watch quickly, Loki determined that he still had a bit of time before Barton and his men would be on the premises. This would be merely a minor distraction, a prelude to the nightmare that was about to unfold before these mortals' very eyes. He fingered the small device in his breast pocket and immediately regretted it when Anja's silver eyes flashed to look at it.

"What is that?" she asked as she pulled away again. A waiter bearing champagne passed by and Loki grabbed two glasses before he turned to offer her one. He made no motion of answering her question. "Loki." She had her arms crossed as she took him in. She did not accept the champagne and Loki made it vanish with his magic as he rolled his eyes. He took a swig of his own glass, not too much- he needed to be aware of his surroundings- as his eyes met hers.

Understanding flashed in her eyes and she stepped further away from him, a hand to her mouth. Luckily, they were still a good distance from the nearest people. "I shall not take part in this."

Loki felt his jaw tighten as he took her in. She had a defiant look in her eye as she glared back at him. The music continued to play and it grew a tad louder. "This is your song, is it not?" he asked smugly. "Your favorite Midgardian composer, I believe?" he said snidely. She simply looked back at him before attempting to turn away. The cold hand that snaked around her wrist did not surprise her in the slightest.

The next thing she knew the music picked up and Loki had swept her into his arms. The champagne that had been in his hand was gone and now she was his focus. Anja had only danced once with Loki and that had been when she had first met him. He had forced her into it then as well, she realized. But this was entirely different, a tango of wills rather than simple footwork. " I do not agree with these methods, Loki," she said evenly. She still had her eye out for any other source of magic. That raven in her chambers had unsettled her greatly and she desired nothing more than to have this whole affair finished. Odin would surely be displeased with his son… especially now. And she wondered what the All-father might think of her now that she had left Asgard to help Loki.

His grip on her waist tightened. "Well, perhaps one day you shall understand."

She bit her lip, looking out over the crowd. She was still a head taller than most of the men here. "I doubt I shall ever understand sadism."

The breath whooshed from her lungs as he pulled her against him roughly. "Do not say that again," he said dangerously.

Anja smirked, finally pleased to have gained such a reaction from his infuriatingly calm demeanor. "Or what, My Love? Will you punish me?" She tried to pull away, but Loki held firm.

He scoffed as he twirled her and dipped her low. He looked down at her for a moment before he leaned into her ear, whispering. "I find it strangely ironic that so often you find yourself beneath me, yet you think yourself above my methods and morals in the public eye." As if to prove a point, Loki let his icy breath trail down her neck and his hand at the small of her back travelled inappropriately low when he raised her back up. Anja suppressed a shiver. It was a vain attempt and she glared back at him after such a crude comment. Her gaze softened slightly as silver met emerald.

"I would have followed you anywhere, Loki, but not down this path. Where you are going, I cannot follow. You have become corrupt by your lust for power and jealousy. Please. End this now. If not for me, think of your son. " As recompense for his earlier comment, she leaned into his own ear. "And, for the record, I was on top the last time if memory serves." Her hand at his shoulder travelled down his torso, stopping at his hip before trailing further down. The movement was subtle enough to where none other than the two of them knew what was passing between them. It was his turn to suppress a shudder. Damn this woman and what she could do to him with a simple touch!

"You are a fiery one, aren't you?" he said through his irritation. "When did I turn you into such a naughty girl?"

"Would you love me if I was any less?" she asked, the ghost of a bitter smirk upon her lips. She pulled away from his grasp as the music stopped and Loki realized that Barton would be needing that retinal scan.

"Stay here," he said quietly. When she went to argue, he stopped her. "Just this one last time, My Love." He pulled her in for a peck on the lips before she could object. Anja could still taste the champagne's residue on his lips. Then he was gone, cutting through the crowd like a knife through butter.

Anja watched carefully as Loki made it to the edge of the room and disappeared with the slightest popping noise from the crowd. No one had seemed to notice that a man had just used magic to disappear from their sight. Mortals were everywhere, and Anja had to fight to avoid the eyes of some of the men. It had never been this way in Asgard, not for her. She wondered vaguely if this was how Selena had always felt. Another bout of homesickness hit her and she suppressed it, looking for her lover's next appearance. He would not go through with this as easily as he thought, she decided. She felt the tip of her bow come in contact with her fingertips as she lowered the enchantments on it.

Height. She needed height.

*o*O*o*

Loki felt the thrill of what he was about to do surge through him. He loved this feeling of control, the idea that he called all of the plays. And tonight, well, tonight these mortals were in for the show of their meager lives.

Music drafted up to him from his place upstairs. Barton had landed shortly after Loki had left Anja and the assassin was ready for the rest of the plan to begin. With all the finesse of his god-like form, Loki trotted down the white marble stairs of the Midgardian museum. The crowd was listening to an older man speaking in German. That was his target: this one, pathetic old scientist.

He advanced from behind the guards, staff ready. Anja was nowhere in sight, something he was unsure of bearing good or bad tidings. He did not have time to worry about her just now. He needed to gain the information for his Iridium.

With a sickening crunch, Loki's staff met the face of the first guard as he advanced on the old doctor. The rest of the mortals, like the sheep they were, watched dumbfounded at the dark intruder that had destroyed their parade. He paid them little heed for now. He wanted a scene. No, he needed a scene for the next stage of his plan. SHIELD needed to know where he was.

He grabbed the scientist quickly and before the old man was able to figure out what had hold of him, Loki had pinned him down on a table at the center of the party room. Now he needed the tool Barton had given him. Elegantly, Loki pulled the retina scan from his coat pocket. He glanced around once, noticing Anja was still nowhere to be seen as the thing fired up. The man beneath his hand stared at the contraption, dumbfounded.

Before Loki could make any more progress, a single, ivory tipped arrow landed just in front of Loki on the stone table, embedded in the white marble. _Damn that woman!_

"Loki!" Her voice reached from the balcony that framed the other side of the room. She was situated on the railing, using her magic to keep her balanced, no doubt. "No."

At the sound of her words, at the sound of her denying that what he was doing was right, Loki was reminded again of the last words his father had spoken to him back in Asgard. _No, Loki._That was enough to bring all his pain back… His Anja, his little skylark, openly rejecting his methods completely and standing against him. But the fact of the matter was that she was still obviously his. She had not shot him directly as he was sure she was quite capable of doing. She had shot in front of him as a method of intimidation. But one such as her should have learned by now that there was no way to bluff when facing the god of mischief.

With a final smirk, Loki kept eye contact with her as he rammed the device directly into the old man's right eye.

* * *

**Please leave me a note? :D I'm unsure when I can get another chapter up. While I have limited internet access, I also have very little time to write. We'll see though! Thanks for all the favorites, reviews, and alerts. It means so much! **

**~Sirius **


	9. Chapter 9: Shoot to Thrill

"_I can't change who I am._

_Not this time, I won't lie to keep you near me._

_And in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up._

_My love wasn't enough."_

_~ 'Lacrymosa'_

* * *

The second Loki's hand descended downward into the mortal's eye, Anja threw herself over the balcony. She focused on shifting the molecules in her body to a gaseous state as her body turned to mist. The people below her took little heed of the woman that had jumped from the railing of the second story as they raced to get out of the lavish hall.

All that Anja could see was the cruel smirk that distorted Loki's features. His face showed nothing but pure concentration as the old man writhed beneath him. For Anja, it was nearly too much- even for her healer's stomach. What that poor man was going through… No, she could not let that break her concentration right now. As the silver contraption in Loki's hand stopped spinning and the lights at the end of it died down, the old man stopped thrashing. Anja swallowed hard as she solidified on the ground several feet from the stone table. Loki watched his surroundings, taking in the mortals running away from his actions with a sadistic grin on his pale features like a monster from a fairytale.

But this was no fairytale… and even if it had been, it would not have been happy for Anja.

She did not have the will to shed tears. Her anger and disgust prevented her from it as she took him in. He raised the bloodied contraption from the dead man's eye socket, tossing it aside. He would not be needing that anymore, after all. Then he turned to Anja, the faint shine of his armor showing through the glamor spell he had used for his Midgardian clothes. His golden helmet seemed to shimmer in and out of existence as the staff in his hand turned to a completely new and completely dangerous weapon.

"Come to me, My Queen," he said passionately, evilly, as he held out a hand for her to take.

Anja kept her bow in hand, standing her ground as she looked at him with disgust.

His jaw tightened when he saw she did not waver and he advanced on her, eyeing her as his grip on his staff tightened as well. "Anja."

"I told you I shall not take part in this," she said with a strength that did not mirror the shaky feeling she had in her limbs. Her grief was threatening to overpower her and she swallowed hard again as he walked closer. People were still trying to escape, it seemed, all of them avoiding the two Asgardians.

He rolled his eyes. "For the outcome of this to be good, My Lady, some sacrifices must be made as a whole."

"Not like this," Anja said defiantly. "Nothing is worth this." She made a motion towards the dead scientist that Loki had let fall to the floor. Loki cut his eyes in that direction, but as he was in front of the body it was merely to humor her.

"Very well," he said quietly as he walked past her, shouldering his spear as his full armor came into focus and his Midgardian clothing disappeared. Had Anja been anything other than what she was, she would have feared him, just as these mortals feared him. "I shall have to make a solo performance to these wretches."

She sprang into action, blocking Loki's path as he strode towards the door that all the last of the people were heading towards.

He looked at her in amusement before he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and moved her to the side in an effort to pass her. He continued to walk out towards the door and Anja felt anger rise within her. If he got out of here… there was no telling what he would do to the rest of the city. She raced after him, following him down the hall until they reached the door without so much as a backwards glance at the room they had been in. She was able to sling a bit of magic into his back, making him stumble. He stopped for a moment, turning around slowly to look her in the eye. "Really, My Love?" he growled. "You would go against me? The man who taught you the very essence of your art?"

Anja responded by drawing her bow as if to make a point. He was still a good ten feet away from her. She felt the weight of Andrew's arrowhead on her collarbone as reassurance. "You didn't teach me half of what I know, Loki." He merely chuckled, taking small steps towards her.

"You won't shoot me, pet," he said calmly.

"Would you test that theory?" she asked as she pulled the string even tighter.

He had advanced on her again, stepping into her this time almost to where his armor brushed her chest. He had sidestepped her bow, one arrogant finger resting on the tip of the arrowhead before he had forced her to lower it. She could feel his icy breath over her cheeks. They made quite an odd pair, her in her Midgardian clothing and dark skin and he in Asgardian armor and pale complexion. The tension radiating between them was the epitome of lovers at odds.

"Come with me, Anja," he breathed. "Let the darkness out of you. I know a much better use for that bow of yours than wasting arrows shooting at me."

She shook her head. Out of nowhere, his hand shot between her legs and she found her own hand flying before she knew what hit her. She got a good, solid punch right into his nose. He looked extremely taken aback as he stepped back from her.

"Ah," he said and she could see his anger rising by the second. She could swear there were flames behind the emerald of his eyes. "I see. My Little Skylark doesn't need me anymore, is that it? hmm?" There was unfathomable hurt in his eyes but Anja did not let that manipulate her this time. "Just needed someone to keep you entertained for a little while? I cannot lie, I have very much enjoyed your company. But now I see you are just like everyone else in these infernal nine realms, just like my brother. Why now do you choose to leave my side?"

Anja's nostrils flared as she watched him, a habit she had picked up from him when he was annoyed or angered. "I shall not grace that question with an answer, Loki." The sounds of people screaming outside made Anja look behind her towards the exit. Those mortals were _still_ running around? She heard him let out an icy laugh behind her… and when she turned around to look at where he had been, he was gone. The whoosh of dark energy that hit her told her he had used it to teleport outside.

*o*O*o*

"I said: KNEEL!"

Loki's angered voice reached Anja, chilling her to her core. This was not the man she loved. By the time she had made it out of the building, Loki had forced the hundred or so Midgardians into a kneeling position before him.

She could swear she could make out the huff of a laugh he gave to see people before him in such a state, but she couldn't be sure as his back was to her… and several versions of his holographic form were smirking back at her as well as they kept herd on the Midgardians below them from several strategic points. "Is not this simpler?" Loki began as he waded through the crowd. "Is this not your natural state?" he asked. "It is the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power… for identity." In those moments, Anja was unsure of everything. Why on earth was Loki making such a scene if he was in hiding? He had always been one for attention… Unless he wanted to be caught, to be found by that organization…

"You were made to be ruled," he said as a final point to his monologue. "And in the end… you will always kneel."

Anja sucked in a breath as Loki seemed to stop and an elderly mortal stood up in the crowd. He could have been her father if he had been in Asgard… A sinking feeling forced its way into her heart as the older man spoke up. "Not to men like you," the voice did not waver as the mortal stood straight and tall over the rest of his race. Anja fought back tears. This would not end well for the old man. Loki would not stand for this…

But he surprised her yet again with a laugh. "There are no men like me," he said in a condescending tone.

"There will always be men like you." Before any rational thought could stop Anja, she was running at Loki, willing to do anything to stop him from taking this any further than he already had. She could barely make out his words as he raised his staff to take aim at the old man. No. This wasn't happening. The hand that gripped that horrible weapon that was taking aim at an innocent man was not the same hand whose touch she had desired… still desired…

"Loki! NO!" she shouted as she made it to the brink of the sea of people. She slipped into her mist state, but she was still not going to make it in time to stop him. Everything seemed to slow down as she watched this new horror take place in front of her. As the blast on the end of Loki's spear was released, she closed her eyes.

Only nothing happened. Or rather, no one died. Instead, she heard the sound of a blast of magic hitting a metallic substance… and the sound of Loki hitting the concrete. A masked figure, in blue armor and bearing a shield with red, white, and blue colors was standing where the blast should have disintegrated whatever it hit on sight.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany, and I saw a man standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing." The man's voice was deep, and distinctively American, from what Anja remembered from her travels. But she had not remembered just any American dressing in such an ostentatious fashion, never mind possessing the physical strength to stand up against a god.

Loki had regained his dignity as he sneered. "The soldier; the man out of time." Wait, Loki knew this man? She had stopped in her tracks at the recent turn of events and all she could do was watch.

"I'm not the only one who's out of time," the blue man stated evenly. As if out of nowhere, a quinjet several sizes bigger than the one Loki's men had used appeared. A female voice came over the intercom.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."

Anja looked from the plane to Loki as large guns appeared as if to threaten him. Anja tried not to role her eyes… Those would do little to no good against him. And he proved it as well. With a simple blast of his magic, Loki had sent the quinjet off course, forcing the driver to retreat in an attempt to right it.

The impact from Loki's scepter came off of the metal in waves and Anja felt a headache overpower her senses. She ran at Loki as he went into battle with the blue man, completely unsure of what she was going to do. Maybe this new figure could help her talk some sense into Loki. If she could just stop their fighting…

*o*O*o*

Loki focused completely on the mortal before him. This mortal, Steve Rogers, certainly was stronger than most Midgardians. Loki actually had to stay focused as he fought him… and the blast of ice in his back did nothing to help his case. Loki subdued the mortal called Rogers briefly as he turned to see Anja.

"Not now, Pet," he said as he swung his staff at the captain. "I am busy." Anja came at him again, pulling water from the air as she slung it as him. She dodged the meager bit of magic that Loki sent her way, knowing full well he did not mean for it to hurt her.

Loki sustained a hit to the jaw as he turned back to the blue suited mortal. He had the man on his knees now, pressing the end of his spear into the back of the mortal's head. "Now, kneel," he hissed, ignoring the arrow that Anja shot at him as it lodged in his thigh. He had the staff pressed firmly enough to keep Rogers down and he plucked it from the muscle it had embedded into. "Not nice, My Skylark, not nice at all."

And with that, Loki slung a spell at his lover, sending her into a world of unconsciousness.

*o*O*o*

It had been for her own safety, Loki told himself as he turned back to the Captain that was out of his grasp and fighting again. She would have gotten herself hurt had she kept coming at him. He had very little margin for error at this point in his plan and she could be a great cause of grief for him if she wanted to be.

A rather obnoxious form of music filled the air as Loki continued to spar with the mortal captain. He did not let it bother him until a blast of energy entirely science based sent him sprawling onto the steps of the building he had just come from. He looked up to see a red… man?

Anja's form was on the ground just feet from him, her golden feather pendent dangling from the chain she wore it on.

An idea came to life within him as the necklace registered with him. Some good may come from her little betrayal after all…

* * *

**Okay, more will come for the Avengers next chapter. We are finally getting into some fun stuff, yeah? :D Can I just say that I am in love with Capt. America? I know that this is an author's note, but… yeah. I'm going to marry him. XD Next to Coulson, he is my favorite Avenger. Sorry, Loki! **

**On another note, I have an idea for an 'alternate sequel' of sorts to last story between Anja and Loki that will be more of a redemption type thing for Loki instead of the whole 'I'm taking over the world' deal. Would anyone be interested? I will most definitely keep this one up, but this other idea has been nagging me as well. Let me know!**

**Review? **

**~Sirius **


	10. Chapter 10: Intermezzo II

"_And you can blame it on me,_

_Just set your guilt free, honey._

_I don't want to hold you back now love."_

_~'Lacrymosa'_

* * *

Anja woke up to strong hands checking her pulse. She was lying on a stretcher in the middle of the courtyard that she had just been fighting Loki in… and her head hurt like the devil. Her eyes opened quickly to see a mortal paramedic working over her as the rolling bed she was in, tucking a blanket around her Midgardian clad form. She remembered very little from what had just happened. She remembered Loki… and the man in blue rang a bell as she continued to pry deeper, but other than that she was lost. She tried to sit up, but the paramedic held her down with a firm hand, speaking in a language she did not understand.

Her Asgardian strength returned as she was wheeled into the waiting ambulance and the paramedic shut the doors. She cringed as they slammed, but did not hesitate in the slightest to sit up. Whatever trauma she had sustained from… why had she passed out again? Oh, yes. Loki's magic. Her body had healed whatever trauma she had sustained from the blast Loki had sent her way and the moment she had the chance to escape she seized it. The paramedics in the front seat did not seem to notice her as she sat up in the gurney and with all the magic she could muster she closed her eyes and focused on any bit of dark magic she could find.

That would take her to Loki.

Her eyes moved around beneath her eyelids as she searched for him. The only bit she caught was the slightest amount of energy moving at an extremely fast rate away from where she was. With her own magic, she reached out for the wisp, latching onto it and forcing her body to turn into its mist state when she felt a tug take her in the right direction.

*o*O*o*

"I don't like it." Captain Roger's voice was beginning to grate on Loki's nerves as he sat in the back of the Quinjet, handcuffed to the rather uncomfortable seats. He sat hunched over, merely feigning an aura of helplessness. How stupid could these mortals truly be? He was a magician! A very skilled one at that. With a flick of his little finger he could be out of this little inconvenience in a matter of seconds. Yet these arrogant fools did not think him dangerous without his weapon. Oh, how he would prove _them_ wrong. His hand went to the chain around his neck, fingering the golden feather pendant he had replicated from Anja's before his capture. It sat on a chain of gold, formulated by his own dark magic. When it sat against his skin under his shirt, he would be able to tell when it grew cold at her presence… and warm if she ever lied to him. Of course, he would need to worry about that at a much later date. He had no intention of seeing his queen to be for a while, at least until Barton came to free him.

He could hear the two 'heroes' bantering back and forth over the situation and he looked down at his booted feet, meditating. Anja was okay, he knew that to be a fact. He had ensured that only he was captured by these fools, leaving her behind for Agent Barton to collect on his way out after the commotion had died down. But some new form of energy was messing with his senses as he tried to focus on his meditation. Something told him Anja was NOT with Barton after all.

Those thoughts were soon cast aside as lightning flashed and thunder resonated through the metal interior of the jet.

"Where'd this come from?" the female pilot in the cockpit was speaking now. Loki knew the answer and he lunged forward in his seat. This was not part of the plan… That blasted god of thunder!

"What? You scared of a little lightning?" Rogers asked when he saw that Loki had cowed down a bit.

Loki cut his eyes at the mortal, mouth twisted in a strange expression as he replied. "I am not overly fond of what follows." Any moment now, his 'brother' would be landing on Midgard, quite possibly on this very plane. Loki had not been counting on this turn of events. Apparently neither had the mortal captain because when the heavy thud landed on the roof of the plane his eyes went wide.

Loki rolled his eyes as the Man of Iron's helmet reappeared on his head and the back doors of the jet opened up. Wind rushed around Loki, whipping his hair in his face as he looked out into the inky night below him. The huge figure that appeared in the jet's entrance had Loki's magic firing up in an instant and before he knew it, he had undone the handcuffs on his chair and was preparing to disappear… until his brother's fist closed around his throat and he was flying through the open air.

*o*O*o*

Anja landed hard in the middle of a forest the second she lost track of Loki's magic. She skidded to a halt in the dirt , her dress tearing and her hair going everywhere. She lay there for a moment, thinking through what had just happened. Gingerly, she sat up, her hand going to a cut on her forehead and wiping the blood away as she cast a small healing spell over it. It would be fixed in a matter of minutes… now if only she could gain her bearings.

Her bow was on her back, along with her arrows and she drew it quickly when she heard a light rumbling in the distance, near a rocky cliff that she had not noticed before. But it was only thunder and she lowered her guard as she realized this. Trees stretched in front of her like large pillars and moonlight seeped through the branches in certain patches. She had long ago lost her fear of the dark, especially when she had learned of all the terrible things that people do in broad daylight.

She looked down at her mortal wear, slightly irritated to see the beautiful silk dirty and spotted with holes. With a wave of her hand, she had manipulated the earth molecules off of the silk. She had only enough time to shorten the hem of her skirt to accommodate better movement before she heard the unmistakable sound of feet on the ground. As quick as a whip, her bow was out and poised to shoot.

She stepped quietly over the pine-straw on the ground, every muscle tense and ready to let an arrow fly if the wrong person found her. Her breathing accelerated greatly to match her already racing heart.

She saw the flash of blue, the shine of something metal, and before she knew it she was aiming an arrow at the blue man from Stuttgart.

*o*O*o*

Steve was extremely taken aback to say the least when he came upon this gal. He had jumped from the plane shortly after Stark to keep the billionaire from doing anything too irrational and had somehow ended up on the exact opposite side of the mountain where the red suit had gone. Apparently parachute technology hadn't changed any since the good old days. Steve found that rather ironic given the fact that he had just jumped from a multi-million dollar plane, yet he had used the same type of parachute he had used in the War.

He had his shield poised as he took in the girl's appearance. She really wasn't a girl, he supposed, but she did look really young, maybe in her twenties. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she held the grip on her bow tight. He remembered someone like her in Stuttgart now that he thought about it. She had been trying to take Loki out.

As that recognition crossed his mind, he spoke up. "I'm pretty sure we're on the same side," he said in his best "Captain America Voice." It reminded him of the motion pictures he used to make… and how much the actual army didn't appreciate it. The woman in front of him showed no sign of lowering her bow and he could tell she could see through his actor's voice as well. Perhaps a different tactic…

"Who are you?" she asked quickly, getting to the point. "What do you call yourself, Mortal?" Her eyes were still wide and determined and that damn arrow never lowered from the bow she had it situated in.

Mortal? Surely she wasn't another… How many beings out there claimed themselves to be 'gods' anyway? He lowered the shield ever so slightly, enough so she could see his eyes. "I'm Captain Steve Rogers, ma'am."

She snorted lightly. "That means nothing to me. Why were you fighting Loki?"

Yep, definitely the same girl from Stuttgart. But why did she care about that psychopath? And how on earth did someone like her even know him?

"I thought it was pretty obvious," he quipped. "He was about to kill an innocent man and he's wanted for the murder of eighty people as of yesterday." The girl looked at him for a whole two seconds before she lowered her bow gradually, silver eyes never leaving him. He could see a tiny waver in them though, like the death of eighty people at Loki's hand was news to her. "Who are you?"

The girl's bow was pointed to the ground now, her arrow slack in the string. "I am Anja of Vanaheim," she said quietly. "And I may presume you are of Earth?" Steve nodded. Anja returned it solemnly. "Very well."

She looked like she wanted to say something, but a large blast of energy shook the ground beneath them, sending Steve stumbling and Anja all the way to the forest floor. "Looks like another one of your buddies is here," Rogers said quickly. But when he looked up, Anja was gone… and good God, was he imagining things or could he see through her torso… and her arms… and her legs? Then she was gone completely and he was in the woods alone again. He bit his tongue as a curse word almost slipped. It looked like she was going to find his own team before he did.

* * *

**Okay, I really meant for this to be longer. Truly, I did. But this is where it had to end. I really wanted to update today for you lovely people! I hope to get another up soon. Thor's confrontation of Anja is coming up and we get to learn about what's going on in *coughAsgardcough* ;) And who's up for a little Shakespeare in the park? :D **

**Also, a bit of shameless advertising here, but I have the alternate sequel up for those that wanted it. If you haven't already, I'd love to hear what you think about it! It's called 'Paradise Lost' and, in my opinion, will be much like the first story of these two. **

**Review? **

**~Sirius **


	11. Chapter 11: Arpeggio

_**AN: Okay! Look who made it back in on piece. Thank you all so so much for hanging in there while I went out of town. It was a much needed vacation and was very inspirational to this and a story of my own characters that I am about to start working on. **_

_**Rambling aside, thank you again for bearing with me. I hope this update makes up for my absence… more to come soon on the other story with these two, but I felt like I had neglected this one enough :P**_

_**~Sirius**_

* * *

"_One day I'm gonna forget your name. _

_And one sweet day you're gonna drown in my lost pain."_

_~ 'Sweet Sacrifice' by Evanescence_

* * *

Loki was falling through the night sky, Thor's iron grip at the back of his neck making him feel only slightly uncomfortable. No, he had not counted on the god of thunder to show his face so soon in this new world, but, then again, things never went as planned did they? The green of a forest took over a majority of his vision as the two of them got closer to the earth.

He was slung with a thud onto his back against hard rock and he felt the breath whoosh from his lungs. He could feel some sort of pressure building in his chest…

"Where is the Tesseract?" Thor's voice- once nails to a chalk board to Loki's ears- was deep and demanding as he listened to his brother. The pressure in his chest made it to his throat and burst forth as a quiet laugh as he replied to his brother.

"Oh… I missed you too," he said as he looked up at the night sky. Thor would not hurt him. He never would. Loki would simply bide his time, test his brother out before he teleported away from here with his magic… back to Anja.

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" Thor asked angrily.

Loki raised his head then, meeting his brother's gaze. "You should thank me. With the Bifrost gone how much magic did the All-Father have to summon to conjure you here? Your precious earth." He spat the last part as he brushed dirt off of the knees of his breeches and looked at his brother. He did not count on his brother's sudden rush towards him, or the thud of his hammer hitting the ground. Loki was pulled to his feet abruptly by Thor's unmistakably bigger fist.

Something was different in Thor's eyes as he took Loki in. "I thought you dead," Thor said soberly.

The laugh that had been building in Loki's chest came out as more of a scoff. "Did you mourn?" he asked, hiding his genuine curiosity with a disdainful look.

Thor took a step backwards. "We all did. You left Lady Anja with child-"

"Yes," Loki interrupted. "I know."

Thor cocked his head as Loki's eyes sparked. "And did you also know she turned to dark magic after you left her to find you? She has not been seen since." Loki's lips, tightly pressed together, turned into a smirk, causing Thor to falter ever so slightly. Loki liked that, that feeling of control. "Is she here, Loki?" Thor had grabbed Loki by the collar of his shirt, meeting the gaze of his younger brother. "What have you done with her?" Loki raised his eyebrows in what he knew to be an infuriatingly knowing smirk, a sign that he knew so much more than he was telling, more than he was ever going to tell.

"Your son has grown up without both of his parents."

That wiped the smirk clean off of Loki's face. How dare Thor talk about Aric! "That is none of your concern, _Odinson_," Loki hissed. "We have not abandoned him. As for Lady Anja… I have… shall we say, broadened her horizons?" Loki's smirk had returned by now as he thought of the dark magic he had sparked within his queen to be. It was only a matter of time…

"So she is here?" Thor said. A slight look of relief seemed to wash over his blue eyes, something Loki did not like to see in his brother. He hated Thor with every fiber of his being. "Our father-"

Loki threw a finger in Thor's face, stopping Thor in his tracks. "Your father." Loki annunciated each syllable, driving home the fact that the two weren't related, not truly. "He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" Loki asked bitterly.

Thor's eyes filled with hurt. "We were raised together. We played together. We fought together. Do you remember none of that?"

Loki turned to Thor from where he had turned to look out over the precipice of the forest. He was wasting his time here, but he could not let himself leave without taking a jab at Thor. "I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I who was and should be king."

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights? No. The earth is under my protection, Loki."

Another laugh ripped from Loki's chest. "Oh, and you are doing a _marvelous_ job at that. The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. I mean to rule them… and why should I not?" Loki was unsure of why he felt the need to talk to Thor about this matter, but he could not tear himself away.

Thor had pressed his lips together in a tight line, taking his brother in. "You think yourself above them, Brother?"

Loki felt his brow furrow at that. "Well, yes." It was such a stupid question, asked by an equally stupid man. Of course he was better than these wretches!

"Then you miss the point of ruling, brother. The throne would suit you ill."

With a sneer, Loki pushed past Thor, disturbing two ravens that sat on the ledge of the cliff the two gods were on. Ravens… Damn the All-Father and his bloody spies! That was how Thor knew of his plan so prematurely. "I've seen worlds you've never known about. I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it-"

"Who showed you this power?" Thor asked. There was suspicion in the god of thunder's eyes now. "Who controls the would-be king?"

There. That was enough to make Loki snap. In a single outburst, he felt his voice, loud and clear, rip from his chest. "I am a king!" He had been in Thor's shadow far too long to let his brother belittle him now.

"Not here!" Thor matched Loki's tone, taking him by the shirt again. "You give up the Tesseract, you give up this poisonous dream… You come home." Thor's voice was softer now as he pleaded with Loki. "…and bring Lady Anja with you. Think of Aric!" Loki shook his head.

"I don't have the Tesseract," Loki said with a wry smile. The smile grew larger when Thor summoned his hammer. "You need the Tesseract to return my queen and I home, but I've sent it off I know not where." Loki could make out the faint blast of something shooting through the night sky… just a tad longer…

"You listen well, brother-"

Thor's threat was cut off as the god of thunder was snagged from the top of the mountain by the red man of iron. "I'm listening," Loki said to the spot that Thor had just been occupying.

"Good," a female voice reached his ears and Loki's head snapped around to see silver eyes peering back at him. Before he could move, before he could blink or breathe, a blast of ice had taken him off guard, sending him back several feet into the side of the mountain. He had not noticed the change in temperature of the feather pendant when he had been talking to Thor, but now that he thought about it, the metal was icy cold against his skin.

"Because I have a lot to talk to you about, Lover."

*o*O*o*

Anja came at Loki swiftly, summoning all of her skill and using it to slam him against the side of the mountain. She had him pinned in icy manacles against the rocks in no time, holding him captive as she looked at him from a good five feet away. Gods that smirk was still on his face…

Anja had long ago discarded her heels on the forest floor as she moved from mist to solid and back again. Now she somewhat regretted it. Where she had been able to look Loki dead in the eyes back in Stuttgart, now all she could see was his pointed chin if she didn't want to tilt her head backwards. Her bare feet brushed the rocky edges of the cliff she had found him on. "Oh, My Lady, I did not realize you liked to play so rough," Loki said quietly, seductively. Anja slung an icy breeze at him, but he just laughed. "How did you find me?"

She did not answer him, and her eyes never lost the glare she had and the smirk on Loki's face disintegrated. "You killed eighty people, Loki."

There was something around his eyes that changed as he looked at her from his position on the rocks. Somewhere below in the forest, Anja could hear the sound of metal clashing and… static electricity shooting in different directions? That barely held Anja's attention for mere seconds before she had turned back to Loki.

"Did you not know what you were getting into, My Love? Surely, with all of your knowledge, you did not think I would be able to take this world without some casualties to the population. I do not decide who I kill based on a whim. I kill who I must, whoever stands in my way, to gain what I want."

Anja's grip on her bow tightened, but she did not raise it or pull an arrow from the quiver on her back. "That scientist in Stuttgart did not seem able to defend himself… or that old man in the crowd. Would you have killed him, Loki? Had Captain Rogers not stopped you?"

Loki tilted his head back, resting it against the hard stone he was pinned to. All it would take for him to get away from the prison she thought she had him in would be a simple spell… but he wanted to do so much more, show her what he was capable of with the darker side of his abilities.

"Answer me, Loki," Anja said defiantly and he felt the ice holding his wrists tighten a bit with her anger.

He met her gaze. "Yes, Anja. I would have." A wicked sneer had stretched across his lips as he saw the disgusted look on her face. He inhaled as he took in a vast amount of dark energy, melting the ice that she had been holding him against the wall with. She had been keeping her guard up on the enchantment from any normal magic allowing him to free himself, but all he had to do with her flimsy molecular manipulations was destroy the matter entirely. It was one of the most destructive forms of dark magic, upsetting the balance of the universal law of matter. But in those moments, he did not care what laws he broke. He was king and he was powerful.

"Oh, Anja," he said darkly as he took in her defensive face. He made no move to touch her. He still had a sore nose from his last attempt. "You've no idea the magnitude of journey we are about to embark upon, My Skylark."

* * *

_**Still more to come on this little scene. It was probably one of my favorites in the entire movie, so I am really having fun slipping Anja into it in different places. :D Sorry I haven't responded to your reviews! I am back at my computer now and am proud to say I have a bunch of ideas for Loja! This particular story will be a tad longer chapter wise from the first two. An update to Paradise Lost will be up asap as well! **_

_**Til next update,**_

_**~Sirius **_


	12. Chapter 12: Canon

"_Why don't you ask him what's going on?_

_Why don't you ask him who's the latest on his throne?_

_Don't say that you love me._

_Just tell me that you want me."_

_~ 'Tusk' by FleetwoodMac_

* * *

Anja took three involuntary steps backwards as Loki got closer to her. She could feel his icy breath cascading over her shoulders as he looked down on her and she was at the point that she could feel the edge of the cliff against her bare feet. A pebble or two fell from the mountain, landing Norns knew how many hundreds of feet below the two on the forest floor.

Loki let out a little chuckle as he got closer to her. Her silver eyes met his once more, eyeing him with nothing but weariness.

_Gods, what has he done? Do I stay here with him? What am I to do? He is my only means back to Aric… _

He raised an eyebrow as he realized that he was reading her thoughts. When she looked away the stream of words radiating from her mind vanished. He raised an eyebrow, silently rejoicing in his newfound control over her. It was a side effect of the enchantment he had used, no doubt. He was reminded that dark magic, while unpredictable, often had a knack for enhancing its purposes in more useful ways… He had placed an enchantment over her feather pendant that would allow him to know when she was near or lying, but he also seemed to be able to read her thoughts. As long as he had eye contact with her, nothing in that pretty little head of hers could be kept from him. This way, willing or no, she would be his spy. Of course, the fact that she had no idea about his little intrusion was always helpful too.

To test her, he spoke again. "Anja."

Her silver eyes met his again, unwavering and steady. She was still upset with him and her thoughts were jumbled as she looked back at him. Ha! It was almost hard to form a complete sentence for she was so befuddled. Out of nowhere, a new plan was forming… He needed to get her near the other 'heroes' for starters though…

"What, Loki?" she asked quietly. Anger was bubbling within her and his heart skipped a beat when he noticed that her silver eyes had grown reflective in the moonlight. Dark Magic was threatening to burst from her. "Speak soon for I am fast growing tired of this child's play."There was desire in her thoughts and once again he reveled at the power he held over her, even if she knew what he had done to this realm and Asgard, what he was capable of. Her attention was caught again by the static electricity down on the forest floor and before he could kindle that bit of dark energy within her with his words she had blinked and the reflective state of her irises had gone back to the silver. "Who is down there?" she asked wearily. Jealousy pricked in Loki's mind to hear her think his brother's name.

"My brother decided to pay us a visit, My Darling," he said sarcastically. "Although at this rate I doubt you are displeased by his appearance." As she looked back into his eyes, he could tell that she was thinking about finding Thor. Why not help her along? Perhaps she needed to be away from him to cultivate her potential. It had worked out so well the last time when she had gone off to the Academy.

He had placed a hand on her necklace, pinching the arrowhead between his thumb and forefinger as he looked down at it. There was no temperature difference. Her eyes glowed silver again and she bared her teeth. "Do not make me the villain here, Loki. I am the one trying to please you. Although now I find myself wondering if there is any pleasing the selfish whims of a prince that wants nothing more than to be accepted as a ruler. You are nothing to me without your goodness… and that is gone. I see that now." Loki's lips pressed into a tight line and for a moment she feared he might strike her.

In the distance small bouts of lightning were touching down in the forest, a sign that Thor and the Man of Iron were still fighting. He looked back to her, meeting her gaze as a smile formed on his lips. She would come back to him when this was over. He was her only allegiance in this realm, was he not? She had never been close to Thor… and she would always be Loki's. Yes. This would work to his advantage in the end. His skylark would be his spy within SHIELD. But he had to be willing to cut the ties that bound her to him first.

"Well then," he said darkly as he brushed up against her, hands on her shoulders. She tensed, hand flying to counter his advance but he caught it. "I think it is time for you to fly on your own, My Skylark," he said quietly. He pulled her to him roughly, planting a rough kiss on her lips before she could object.

And then he gave her a gentle push over the side of the mountain, sending her in the direction of the brawling men below.

*o*O*o*

Anja had hardly enough time to realize what Loki had done before she was shooting through tree branches, pine sap and branches scratching her face as the ground rose up to meet her. She had barely enough time to summon a spell to stop her fall before she was gliding through the trees at a slightly slower pace. How dare the bastard do that to her! Surely he knew she would be able to call upon her magic to save her, but still!

The rate at which she was moving was not slow enough to allow her to stop when she saw a red-caped, hulking figure being slammed right into her line of flight. BAM!

Anja felt the world fall away as she spiraled to the forest floor. Her eyes snapped open seconds later and she was looking up at Thor Odinson.

"Thor?" she said, her voice stronger than she felt. All thoughts of Loki were gone as she looked up at her fellow Aesir with question.

He had the look of battle dancing about his eyes and he was gripping his hammer tightly. "Lady Anja. What are you-" The Crown Prince of Asgard was blasted from her line of sight by an unseen force and her world snapped back into focus as she looked in the direction the blast had come from. A man in red armor had taken aim at the thunder god with a form of energy weapon in the palms of his gloved hands.

What was it with this world and their fascination with blowing things up?

She was on her feet quickly, using her magic to jackknife into a standing position. Her bow was drawn before she could think clearly, taking aim at the red figure. Thor had disappeared again, but the trail his heavy armored body had left in the forest floor was in plain sight.

She summoned as much magic as possible into her arrow, aiming straight at the red figure's head. The arrow whizzed through the air at a blinding speed… only where it should have lodged deeply into the Iron man's left eye socket, it had bounced off, bending in half at the impact. Damn…

"And what is your name, mortal?" she demanded as she had Captain Rogers.

The red man seemed to pause as he took her in. "You've got to be kidding me. Another one?" the accent of the robotic looking thing was American, and she could tell that there was a man beneath the armor. She furrowed her brow, keeping her magic at the ready.

Thor had regained his footing, glaring at the metal man. "Do not touch me again," the God of Thunder said quietly, lethally. Anja had never heard him speak in such a dangerous fashion. He had been nothing but kind to her while she had known him in Asgard.

The armor of the metal man's faceplate slipped back to reveal a mortal with a pointed, neatly trimmed beard and dark brown eyes. His face was weathered slightly, hinting that he was around the age of forty in mortal years. "Then don't take my stuff," he said and somehow, Anja was sure he was referring to Loki.

"This is beyond you," Thor boomed and Anja turned back to face the Thunderer. "You know not what you are dealing with."

"Oh, a little Shakespeare in the park?" Anja nearly rolled her eyes from the mortal's sense of humor. "Doth mother knowest thou wearest her drapes?" Was this man truly trying to crack a joke at the situation?

Anja sent a blast of magic at the mortal, trying to weave a spell to make him complacent. His armor seemed to be the perfect material to deflect her powers though.

"Calm down, sweetheart," the man said impatiently. She could already see the fight brewing in his eyes after she attacked him. She remembered the man of iron vaguely from Stuttgart before she had passed out. He must have been the one to capture Loki along with Captain Rogers…But that still did not explain why the three of them were out in the middle of a forest…

Thor's voice broke their standoff.

"Loki must face Asgardian justice." Anja's eyes went wide. It had not occurred to her that Loki might face trial in Asgard for his actions on Earth.

"What?" she said quietly as she looked at Thor. Thor looked to her, a sad look tainting the one of anger in his eyes.

"I am sorry, Anja, but we must stop whatever he has put into action."

Anja felt like her world was slipping away. She was sure that if anyone could save Loki other than herself it would be Thor… Now even sweet and gentle Thor had seemed to harden about his brother. Perhaps Anja should follow the example.

"He gives up the cube and he's all yours," the Man of Iron snapped as he turned away from the two gods. "Til then, stay out of our way… Tourists."

At that, Thor's temper seemed to be unleashed and before Anja could tell what was happening Mjilnor had been sent straight into the man of iron's chest. The robot went flying, landing a hundred feet away from the two. Anja could not stop Thor before the two men had gone at it again. Everything was happening so fast… She needed to ask Thor how he had made it to Midgard. Had Selena given Odin the spell that she had used?

Thor had emerged from behind her, already zipping through the air at a remarkable pace. How had Thor even gotten here?

He could help her. This fight was getting out of hand and she required the assistance of both of these men to bring Loki back to Aric.

"Thor!" she shouted as the thunder god charged into the man of iron. The prince did not hear her and she took a step back as she tried to figure out what to do. A tree or two fell down as the two giants brawled like school boys. As she looked back up at the mountain, she could still see Loki smirking at her from where he had pushed her off. She inhaled sharply. Why was he still here? He should have been long gone.

She briefly considered going back up to him, but she was still angry with him. She did not wish to see those emerald orbs looking at her like he had won. As far as she was concerned, he hadn't. And she thought she had made that perfectly clear.

The sparks and energy that flowed freely from the combating men on her level brought her attention back to the present issue. She made to run at the two, but she realized that her molecular manipulations of the elements would not be enough to stop them midfight.

_"You know what you need to do, My Skylark…"_

Loki's voice was in her head, a projection of dark magic that he had sent to her no doubt. She refused to give him the satisfaction of feeling that he had gotten to her, but the thought had been in her mind as well. Dark magic could lay these two flat on their back in a matter of milliseconds. It was just a matter of her will to wield it against Thor…

The two looked like they were on the brink of killing each other and she knew she needed to act. Before anything could be done from her end, though, a round metallic object flashed red, white, and blue as it ricocheted around Thor and off the Man of Iron's chest. It came back to the thrower like a boomerang and she was looking up at Steve Rogers once again.

She could swear she could hear Loki's hiss as he realized she would not need her dark magic.

"That's enough," Captain Rogers said authoritatively to the two. He had not seemed to see Anja before he had hopped down from the fallen tree he had thrown his shield from. "Now I don't know what you plan on doing here-"

"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes," Thor said loudly, belligerently. Anja inhaled, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Then prove it," Rogers said. "Put that hammer down."

"Oh no, bad idea," the man of iron said. "He loves his hamm-"

He was cut off as Thor's hammer collided with his suit once again, falling back into the trees. "You want me to put the hammer down?" Thor yelled.

Quick as a flash, Anja was in between the two… but not before she sustained a blow from Mjilnor to her head. For the second time that night, her world fell to nothing at the sound of fighting went on around her.

*o*O*o*

"Wup, she's awake."

Anja's vision was still very blurred and everything was coming back into focus slowly as she looked up at a ceiling. By all the realms, what had hit her? She felt terrible and she stared at the gray metal above her, trying to place what it was… a roof of some kind.

"What's her vital signs?" a female voice called from further away. Anja closed her eyes, scrunching up her forehead and trying to clear her head. He eyes snapped open again when she felt warm hands on her pulse. They were gentle though and she did not fear what was happening for one reason or another. Then the events that had led up to the state she was in now came crashing back to her.

Where was Loki?

"You feeling alright?" Captain Rogers was standing over her. Only now he had discarded his helmet and she was met by sandy hair and piercing blue eyes.

Anja put the heels of her hands to her eyes, blocking everything out until she could think straight. "Yes." If this man was here, then that meant Loki was probably as well. She remembered him throwing her from the mountain side and anger spiked through her. "Where… " Everything around the mortal came into focus so sharply that Anja's head started to spin again. They were inside of a quinjet… probably the same one that she had seen in Stuttgart… There was no sign of a forest.

"My Lady Anja, Forgive me," Thor said as he took her hand in his large one. "I did not see you until it was too late." The quinjet hit a bout of turbulence and she thought she might be sick until Thor helped her to sit up.

She looked to her left as she sat man of iron was standing off to the side near what could only be the cockpit of the jet. The blue-eyed man that had checked on her was helping her to her feet now. She looked to the front of the jet and saw the back of a head of flaming red hair in the driver's seat. Thor stepped away from her, standing back in a corner while she took in her surroundings of the cramped space. "But I know not where I am… Where's Lo-"

Her words were cut off as the last passenger in the plane sat smirking back at her when she finally made eye contact with him.

*o*O*o*

Loki tried very hard not to laugh out loud when he saw Anja jump at the sight of him. Oh, how he loved the way she seemed scared and relieved all at the same time.

"He can't hurt you anymore," Loki heard Steve Rogers say quickly to her when he noticed her dilemma. That made Loki let out a snort. He had said very little after he had let the group take him captive. After all, there was no need in consorting with the filth that would soon be under his heel. He kept looking at Anja, seeing how she would take the Captain's comment.

The Captain turned around, hands resting on his belt as he turned to speak to Loki. "Something funny to you? Because the last time I checked, you were the one that was handcuffed to a metal seat."

Loki rolled his eyes.

The Captain turned back to Anja and Loki could not help a grimace to see another man so close to her. He was pleased, however, however to see her continually glancing at him from her seat, silver eyes wide and mouth drawn into a tight line. If only he could truly know what was going on in her little mind… but then, of course, he could, couldn't he?

_Where am I? Dear gods… Loki? How is he captured and I am not? Do these mortals not know I was with him? … _

Each time she would glance at him, he picked up tiny bits of her thoughts. This was working perfectly… His smirk turned to a toothy grin when he detected her memory of being angry with him surface. He wished that there had been another way, but this was what it would take to make her see the light. His brother had not spared him a glance since he had been recaptured and now the team was apparently on their way back to SHIELD headquarters.

For now, he would resign to these petty creatures. He would be out of this uncomfortable arrangement in no time.

All good things came to those who waited for them. With that last thought in his mind, Loki blew Anja a single kiss… and he smiled when she shivered.

**I kind of hate that I used so much of the movie towards the middle of this. But I had to get that little 'Shakespeare in the park' line in there somehow… it might come back later in scenes of my own. ;) **

**Thor/Anja confrontation next chappie. They'll finally have TIME to talk, not just fight Tony XD Teehee. **

**Review?**

**~Sirius **


	13. Chapter 13: Intermezzo III

"_It's true. We're all a little insane._

_But it's so clear now that I am unchained."_

_~ 'Sweet Sacrifice' by Evanescence_

* * *

"Alright, guys, we're heading into base. You might want to buckle up."

The red-headed woman that was flying the quinjet was speaking from the cock-pit, reaching up to flip a switch and enter a code into a pad on her left. Anja found herself slightly confused, and her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what was going on. She had not felt the altitude drop in the plane any…

She was barely able to make out the outline of a large, hovering mass in the night sky, a dark shadow against the moonlight that reflected off the clouds it soared above. It was either a very large plane… or something else entirely.

She had been doing her very best to avoid Loki's constant gaze for the hour that she had been awake in the quinjet, but every so often she found herself glancing over to him. His smirk was still on his face, stretching his thin lips in a smile that she would have wanted to kiss if this had been another situation. As it was, she was more unnerved by the emerald fire that pierced through her.

"Lady Anja, you may wish to sit down, yes?" Thor said as he broke her from looking towards Loki for the second time. Even he had picked up on his brother's crooked smile. Anja's silver eyes tore away from Loki's as she looked back at Thor.

"Yes, Thor, I believe that would be best," Anja squeaked. Her head was still reeling from what she was going to do when the group reached their destination. She wondered if she should try to escape while she had the chance. Surely if they had somewhere that could contain Loki they could contain her as well without batting an eyelash.

She sat down between him and Rogers, fumbling with the buckle… and dropping it completely when warm hands reached over to help her. "Like that," Rogers said quickly as he pulled his hands away.

Anja swore she could feel the interior of the jet drop ten degrees as the mortal's hands brushed her own, but she did not look back at the green gaze that was boring into her, fuming.

"Thank you," she said with a toss of her head. She held on tightly as she felt the jet shift in the air as it prepared for take-off.

*o*O*o*

"Alright," the red-headed woman in the front of the jet had stood up after the quinjet had landed inside the hanger, straightening her gear as she turned to the rest of the crew. "Fury gave us the go 'head to come aboard."

Anja watched as Iron Man stood and pulled Loki to his feet gruffly and the doors of the quinjet opened to allow the passengers to exit it. At the base of the jet, a detail of six men were waiting with guns to escort Loki. As Loki brushed past Anja, she felt cold radiate from him. He stopped abruptly, despite the red man's persistence and looked at her.

_"All in good time, pet."_

His voice was like fire in her head as The Man of Iron shoved him into the hands of the armed guards, the mortal muttering something along the lines of 'pervert'. Loki did not look back as he held his head high and the mortals took him away.

"What is this place?" she said quietly.

The man in the red suit looked back at her. "Not much. Just something we like to call a hellicarrier. Oh, and the name's Stark, by the way. Tony Stark." He waggled his eyebrows at her before turning on his heel and moving down the way to the other exit of the jet. "Hey, uh, Natasha, if you could tell Fury I'm a bit indisposed at the moment that'd be great." He winked at the red-headed woman that had been driving the plane and she rolled her eyes as she went back to whatever she was doing in the cock-pit, tossing her chin length hair out of her eyes.

Anja turned to Thor as he took in the scene with the same confusion as she. "Tis mighty impressive, is it not?" he said as he turned to exit.

Anja looked up at the older prince. "Yes, I suppose so," she said quietly. She suddenly felt very, very small. There had never been a chance that Loki could take this world over by her moral standards. Humans were too stubborn and free. This ship was proof of that, this floating fortress.

Thor took Anja's hand and pulled her out of ear shot of Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff.

"Lady Anja, your sister is worried sick about you." Thor's crystal blue eyes were serious as they met hers. "The whole of Asgard thought you dead."

Anja looked away. This was not something she had wanted to talk to Thor about so quickly. "I… I could not abandon him, Thor," she said softly, biting her lower lip. "I knew he was alive and… it was just going to be a simple spell to retrieve him but something went wrong and I ended up here."

Thor nodded solemnly. "My Lady, the spell you used was meant for one much older than either of us. It was of the darkest magic, magic that only my father should have been able to summon."

"Is that how you got here?" she said suddenly.

Thor pressed his lips in a tight line. "Well, yes. Your sister, Lady Selena, found the information you had researched in a note in your child's crib. It is a miracle you did not kill yourself in the process… or scar yourself in any other way."

Anja was still unsure if she had been left unscarred in any other way. The magic had healed her, but at times she had seemed to feel that Loki had looked at her like his own little weapon, a time bomb set to go off at the moment he needed her most. His words that had echoed in her head before Stark had shoved him into the guards came back to her.

_All in good time, pet._

She suppressed a shiver, and in an effort to hide her fear she asked about her son. "Aric? How is he?" Anja said as she nodded. Her heart suddenly ached and she wished to hold her son again.

Thor tilted his head to the left. "Well cared for, Anja. But in need of his mother."

"Is he still a child?" she said quietly. She knew that time ran differently between the realms.

Thor nodded. "He was a mere year and a half when I left the Realm Eternal."

Anja nodded, wiping a tear that had rolled down her cheek. She was thankful they were in the shadow of the quinjet. She did not wish to show her weakness in front of Thor.

"I still cannot fathom why you left us, My Lady. I loved my brother just as you did." Thor's voice was gentle, but a tad of anger had washed in with it by now. "Yet I stayed and faced the dreary days and sleepless nights, wondering what I could have done differently to save him from himself, from my own selfishness."

"Thor, that is not why he left. He was not whole…" She took his large, warm hand. "There was nothing either of us could have done. He made the decision to let go… I see that now."

"But with the knowledge of what he would leave you with!"

"He did not know of Aric, that I am sure. I had to try! Even in the face of dark magic."

"Why did you think yourself able to perform such dark acts? Was it him? Had he already taught you about them?"

Anja peered back at Thor.

"Do not try my patience, Anja," Thor said quickly. "My brother has done enough of that today already."

"You think you are the only one that lost sleep wondering what you could have done to save him? I had to find him, Thor. Even if it meant going against the law of Asgard." She looked down at her hands, thinking. "And I swear on the Norns themselves I will not stop until I've retrieved him from this dark path."

Thor's gaze softened. "I can understand your feelings, but I have tried to reason with him. Words will not convince him any longer."

Deep down, Anja knew this to be the case. It just hurt too much for her to face it. "My son needs his father, Thor," she said quietly. "I'll not have him growing up without him."

Thor rubbed his beard, thinking.

"Hey," Steve Rogers had called out to the two Aesir as he got off of the jet. "You two coming or what?" He had a serious expression on his face, but Anja could tell that the soldier was different from the other agent. He was taller, for one. He was very near the size of Thor… but when she looked at him, his eyes were older than someone that should have been his age.

Loki had called him the man out of time. What did that mean?

"Aye, we are," Thor said calmly, the complete opposite of the anger and sadness that had been in his voice. "Come, My Lady, we shall speak about this more later." It was both a threat and a promise, but Anja merely nodded in agreement.

* * *

**Goodness gracious, I am ashamed at how short this chapter was! Forgive me, but I had to save a whole chapter for Anja's explanation about Aric to the Avengers and Fury's "Real power" comment. XD That will be coming very soon (hopefully!). **

**Also, I am sorry that I have not been updating regularly to this story. To be honest I have begun to like the 'alternate sequel' a bit better and the muse keeps popping up to write for that one. I will try to get back on the every other day track for my updates on this one! **

**~Sirius **


	14. Chapter 14: Seven Devils

"_Holy water cannot help you now_

_A thousand armies couldn't keep me out_

_I don't want your money_

_I don't want your crown_

_See I've come to burn your kingdom down."_

_~ 'Seven Devils' by Florence + The Machine_

* * *

The next thing Anja knew, she was being ushered at a miraculously swift pace through the decks of the floating fortress she had found herself on. Thor trudged on beside her, eyeing everything with the utmost interest… or perhaps it was suspicion. In truth, Anja still found herself suspicious of the mortals that surrounded her. They seemed to claim to be a force for good, protecting the earth, but her instincts pricked that there was so much more that they were hiding.

"Lady Anja," Thor said quietly. "It will be alright. Be strong." She looked up at Loki's older brother as ha smiled down at her kindly. The smile did not reach his eyes, though, and her stress levels only rose. Agent Romanoff was ushering the two down one of the upper levels by now after they had taken several elevators and a rather interesting game of dodge through the weight rooms.

"Director Fury wants to speak to both of you," Romanoff said quietly so the two Aesir could hear her. Thor nodded, grunting his agreement about talking to the mortal known as Fury.

"Who is he?" Anja asked. Her curiosity got the better of her and she felt the strong need to know exactly what she was getting herself into. There was still time for her to disappear if she had to, if this place was not full of the good intentions Rogers had claimed it to be.

The super soldier had disappeared somewhere along the lower decks, heading to his quarters, Anja figured. She had wanted him to stay since he had been the only mortal to at least attempt to make amends for their fight in the woods. Stark had not been seen since they had left the quinjet.

"He's the head of this branch of SHIELD," Romanoff said quickly as she glanced up at Anja. "He wants to ensure you two are here for the right reasons." Anja looked at the stoic agent, silver eyes meeting the red-head's blue ones. Just looking at the woman, Anja knew that she had led the life of a warrior. The way she held her shoulders back and determined showed just how powerful she was despite her small size. In that moment, barring Anja's magical abilities, she knew that the agent would come very close to defeating her should they grow at odds.

"I find that fair enough," Anja said quietly.

The agent led the two through a set of sliding doors, and Anja was met with a huge room filled with desks and many, many workers all wearing SHIELD jumpsuits. She had not considered the considerable crew size that would be needed to pilot a contraption such as the one she found herself on. She was out of her element, completely, and she was surrounded by the beings that Loki had told her were less intelligent than animals. An animal could not pilot a craft such as this. That she knew.

Thor was glancing around the room, taking everything in as Anja had. His gaze came to fall on the large glass window that showed a night sky, several wisps of clouds shooting past as the craft travelled through the air.

"Son of Coul," Thor said as a small, genuine smile came to his face and he shook hands with one of the agents that had come up when the two had entered.

"Hi," the little man- Son of Coul?- said to Thor. "We were wondering when you'd be back. What, with all this other stuff going on." Then, to Romanoff, "Thanks, Natasha, I've got it from here." The red-headed woman nodded as she backed away from the two.

Thor nodded solemnly. "I can assure you, my brother shall face Asgardian justice when this is finished. It is not his place to impose upon Earth in such a terrible fashion."

Anja had watched the conversation with interest as she took in the newest member of SHIELD she had come across.

"Ah," Thor said as he remembered she was there. "And, Son of Coul, may I present Lady Anja of Vanaheim, Loki's betrothed."

Anja felt like kicking either herself or Thor when he said that last part, but she knew it would do no good to keep secrets. Those were what ruined families, let alone large organizations dedicated to saving their world.

The Son of Coul glanced up at her in a funny way, but nodded to her all the same. Anja smiled briefly.

"Attention on deck!"

Her head snapped around to hear yet another female voice calling the agents in the room to attention upon the entrance of a man with exceedingly dark skin, almost as dark as Heimdall's. An eye patch covered one of his eyes and a few scars protruded from under the dark patch. Anja, as a healer, could not help but wonder what had caused such a traumatic injury. No doubt it was a battle wound from his many years of service. The same feeling she had gotten with Agent Romanoff, who had stepped off to the side when the Son of Coul had come to speak with them, resurfaced as Anja took the Director in.

"At ease," Fury said with a wave of his hand.

"Director Fury," Coulson said by way of address to the ranking officer. "Thor and a companion are here to see you."

"Thank you, Coulson," Fury said in a deep, resonating voice. "We'll take it from here." As Coulson retreated, Fury turned to Thor. "We've heard a lot about you around here, Sir. Your disturbance out in New Mexico caused quite a rile up in my department of SHIELD."

Thor crossed his arms as Anja realized that that must have been where Odin had banished Thor all those months ago. That seemed like a dark past to her now, something so far away and filled with painful memories.

"I assure you, I come to remedy that, as does Lady Anja." Thor spoke in a monotonous tone, keeping eye contact with Fury.

"Glad to hear that," Fury said after a moment. "Lady Anja, I assume you are on the same page as Thor?" He turned his single eyed gaze to her, and Anja suddenly felt like she was under the all-knowing stare of the All-father.

"Aye," she said quietly.

Thor looked at her for a brief moment, a sad smile on his face, but he did not mention to Fury about her reasons behind helping.

"But I do it for his son, not for you," Anja said after a brief pause. At that, Fury's head snapped around to look at her.

"Lady Anja is- er- was my brother's betrothed in Asgard," Thor said in an attempt to smooth over what had just happened. "But she has pledged her allegiance to protecting earth as long as the cause is just and true. She is a talented sorceress whose skills rival my brother's." If Anja had not felt so awful and distracted, she would have blushed at the compliment. As it was, she did not wish to have to go against her lover. She would give all of her powers to have _her_ Loki back, not the monster that had been in the airplane with her.

Fury tapped his hand on the table that the group had made it to, eye cast down as he thought through what he had said. "Thank you for telling me," he said after a moment.

"Director Fury?" Romanoff's voice was reaching the group now.

"Yes?"

"We have him contained if you are ready for the interrogation."

"Thank you, Agent. Thor, Anja, if you will stay here with the others until I return." It was not a request, but an order. The two nodded and Anja went to take a seat as Thor began to pace.

A few minutes later, a man with skin slightly darker than Anja's and hair just as dark came through the doors, purple shirt sleeves rolled up as if he had been in the middle of something. Rogers came in as well, glancing at Anja before he sat down across from her. Thor kept pacing, back and forth, back and forth… Anja felt dizzy just looking at him.

"Heard the god was being interrogated," the dark skinned man that had come in said quietly. His voice was calm and collected.

"Yeah," Rogers said. "They got him in containment down below, deck 3 I think."

The dark-skinned man gave a wry smile. "Who are our new friends?"

"Thor and Anja from Asgard," Rogers said quickly. "They're here to aid us with Loki. Anja, Thor, this is Dr. Banner. He's helping us locate the Tesseract."

There was that word again. Anja did not remember much about the Tesseract that Loki had been working on, but she had little doubt that it was not the same thing. The power she had felt emanating from it was incomparable. There was no way there were two of its kind.

"Nice to meet you," Banner said with another smirk.

"And you, Friend Banner," Thor said before he resumed pacing.

"Guys, Fury's in," Romanoff said quietly as a screen before Anja's place at the table opened up to reveal a large, glass looking… fish bowl? Cage? Gas chamber? She was unsure, but she knew that Loki was currently sealed within it. Oh, that would do little to no good against him… Could these mortals not see that? But she kept her mouth shut as she watched Fury enter the room, completely unaware of the danger he was putting himself in.

Thor had stopped pacing by now, and Anja did what she could to keep still and watch the screen, praying to the Norns that Loki would not kill anymore, at least not tonight.

*o*O*o*

Fury had walked into the room mere seconds after Loki had been placed in the hulk's cage. He slipped into his best interrogation tone.

"In case it's in anyway unclear," he said as he strode up to the control panel situated in front of the cage. "You try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass…" With a fluid motion, Fury's thumb pressed down on a button that would open the door to the outside. Wind screamed and tore at Fury's clothing as the high altitude air came rushing in. Fury could feel the pressure change considerably, but he made no sign of the popping in his ears to the god. "Thirty thousand feet straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?"

With another press of a button, Fury had closed the doors… But instead of the look of fear he was going for, Loki merely gave a laugh, a chilling, unnerving laugh. This guy really was insane.

"It's an impressive cage," he said as he made a sweeping gesture with his hands. "But not built, I think, for me."

"It's built for something a lot stronger than you," Fury retaliated to the arrogant comment.

"Oh I've heard," Loki said quietly, a smile still dancing about his pale eyes. "A mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did." Fury could feel his anger rising.

"Ooh," Loki said, a knowing look in his eyes. "It burns you to have come so close." When the Director did not respond, he kept talking. "To have the Tesseract, to have power- unlimited power, and for what? A warm light for all mankind to share?" He looked directly into the camera, how he knew where it was was a mystery to Fury. "And then to be reminded what real power is." His gaze returned to Fury.

"Real power that has a kid at home? Real power that kills for kicks?" Fury said with a final jab. He smiled when he saw Loki's reaction. He did not miss the complete look of surprise that flashed through the god's eyes for a millisecond before he had resumed his normal arrogance. Fury let out a subtle snort. "Well, let me know if real power wants a magazine or something."

*o*O*o*

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner said quietly after the screen in front of him shut down.

Anja sat in her chair, dumbfounded. "That is not him," she said quietly. "I… I've not seen him like that. Ever. Thor?"

"Lady Anja, my brother is beyond our help. I told you that." Thor's eyes were filled with sadness.

"And these mortals think that containment will hold him?!" she said, her voice shrill.

"Yes," Romanoff said. " 'Us mortals' _know_ this will contain him." Anja pursed her lips, resigned for the moment.

"Loki's gonna drag this out," Rogers said after a moment of thought. "So, Thor, what's his play?"

"He has an army called the Chitauri," Thor said quietly. Anja's head pooped up at that. So that was the name that Loki had tried to keep from her. She had read about them briefly in her studies at the Academy… and she knew enough to know they were untrustworthy barbarians that had no sense of morality. They were murderers. "They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army?" Rogers said, disbelief etched in every syllable. "From outer space?" Anja's eyes met the captain's as he took in what Thor had said. She looked away quickly. "I wanna know why Loki let us take him," Rogers said after a moment. "He's not leading any army trapped in that cell."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki," Banner's calm voice radiated throughout the room. "The guy's brain is a bag of cats. You can smell crazy rolling off of him."

"Fury said he had a kid," Rogers said after a moment. There was a tad of disgust written on his face. "That poor, poor woman…" Anja chewed on her lower lip, eyes cast down. Rogers did not know and nor did Banner…

"That poor, poor kid is more like it," Banner replied.

Anja sucked in a breath at that, but it was Thor that spoke up first. "Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard, and he is my brother." Thor looked at Anja for a brief moment, noticing the tear that had formed in her right eye.

"He killed eighty people in two days," Romanoff said in a flat tone, her deep voice penetrating Anja's thoughts.

Thor started at that before shrinking back a bit. "He's adopted," he said weakly.

Romanoff reached to her ear piece, listening to a message that was being relayed to her. "Hey, uh, Anja?"

Anja looked up at the mortal woman as she rose. "I've been instructed to find you some better wear."

Anja furrowed her brow before she looked down and realized that she was still in Loki's tattered silk dress. A fresh set of clothes would be nice…

She nodded at the red-head. "Very well."

* * *

**Where did everybody go? Haha I miss all my reviewers! Sorry this wasn't up sooner, but I had a busy week. Next chapter will bring some Loja back, but there may also be some Aneve… or staja… I don't even know. Since so many people want to see them have a little fling I might just do it. But, believe me, this won't be your typical love triangle. ;)**

**Leave me a note? **

**~Sirius **


	15. Chapter 15: Modulation

"_Couldn't take the blame._

_Sick with shame._

_Must be exhausting to lose your own game._

_Selfishly hated,_

_No wonder you're jaded._

_You can't play the victim this time."_

_~ 'Call Me When Your Sober' by Evanescence_

* * *

Anja picked up the jumpsuit that Agent Romanoff had handed her with two fingers as she took it in. It was, in a word, bizarre. It was as alien to her as she was to Midgard and she realized that she had never worn pants before. Ever. This would be a trip of many firsts, she decided.

"So you just slip it on," Romanoff said as she turned to walk towards the exit. "Not too complicated."

Anja blinked. "I am afraid I have never…"

The SHIELD agent gave the sorceress a wry smile as she stopped in the doorway. "You are expected back on the main deck in an hour. Til then, try not to get into trouble." The agent had lowered her voice by now as she spoke one last sentence. "We have cameras all around the perimeter."

It was not a statement or an attempt to make conversation, but a warning. Anja could tell that the agent was warning her not to try anything. Of course, she could not blame her. After what the group now knew about Loki and herself…

Anja gave a stiff nod before she went back to the jumpsuit, chewing on her lower lip. This mortal wear was just too different and strange, but she would have to make due until she could figure out her next course of action. With a flick of her wrist, she had stepped out of Loki's dress, the ruined satin falling to the floor around her ankles. There was a set of fresh underwear as well, Midgardian, but practical. At least she would not have to deal with the restriction of a corset during her time here.

After she was changed, she re-braided her hair with magic, each plate falling into place in a trail down her back like a waterfall. The pants were a strange feeling to her, just as she thought they would be. But the more she moved around in them, the more she found she liked them. It was no wonder that Lady Sif had chosen her armor over typical dresses back in Asgard. A pang of homesickness sprang up in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it as she poked her head out of the room she had been allowed to change in.

The main bridge was just down the hall, one deck above her. She had little to no clue how many decks this place was comprised of, but she knew she could feel a strong sense of energy humming down the hall opposite of the front end of the ship… way down the hall.

Anja's boots left clicked down the tile of the halls but she did not pay them any heed. She closed her eyes briefly, zoning in on the object that was emitting such a high amount of energy. It resembled that of the cube… and she remembered it distinctly from Germany.

A few SHIELD agents bustled by her, only one taking the time to register that she was not a member of the human forces. In truth, she did not know where she belonged now. Loki had fallen over the edge, yet she still felt the need to be with him. The healthy thing to do would be to forget about him completely, but her love for him went too deep for that. It rivaled the love that Thor held for him, for she had known him for quite some time in Asgard. Her Loki…

"Anja?" A deep voice, distinctly American, was calling to her from behind her, the elevator doors that the owner had obviously come through pinging as they closed behind him.

Anja recognized the flash of blue immediately before her gaze travelled to his face. He gave her a small smile, one she forcibly returned. "Hello, Captain," she said quietly as she stopped completely and turned to face him, arms crossed.

"What are you doing this far down?" he asked as he caught up with her and she started walking again.

"Agent Romanoff saw fit to allow me to change before anything else came up," Anja replied airily. She tossed her dark braid over her shoulder, silver eyes cutting to study him as he looked ahead. He really was not unattractive for a mortal. In truth, she found that she liked him the best when it came down to the mortals she had been introduced to. He was quite peculiar though, and she wondered exactly what was left unsaid under the icy blue of his eyes.

"Ah," Rogers said after he heard her response. "Well, they suit you." His ears had turned a slight pink as they continued walking, but Anja hardly took notice.

"Thank you, I am unaccustomed to articles such as these… or any of this, really."

Rogers shrugged. "It took me a while to get used to this too. I'm not sure I'm still completely up to date on what's what around here."

Anja furrowed her brow as she looked at him full on, stopping in the hallway. "I'm sorry?"

Rogers stopped, meeting her gaze. "I'm not… from around here either. Well, I guess I mean… I'm from Brooklyn, but…." He was stammering, and Anja took pity on him.

"The man out of time," Anja said as she put two and two together.

It was Rogers' turn to raise an eyebrow. "You could say that, yeah…" He studied her for a moment longer and she felt like squirming under the too-gentle gaze. "Did Loki tell you that?" He seemed to have regained control of his speech by now, even if he was still flushed. Why was he flushed? There was nothing to be embarrassed about…

Anja felt blood rush to her cheeks. "Well…" The Captain shifted his footing as he rested his hands on the utility belt around his waist. "I overheard him when you two were fighting in Stuttgart."

Rogers nodded. "How do you know him? Other than being from Asgard I mean. Thor's his brother, so what are you?" His blue eyes cut through hers as she bit her lower lip.

"We… He was my lover," she said after a moment. Fury knew, the truth was sure to come out sometime or another anyway.

Rogers' eyes went wide and Anja felt guilt swim into her thoughts as he looked at her. Why could he make her feel so guilty? He was just a man, a mere mortal. But his eyes were completely different from the emerald green she was so accustomed to looking straight into. She did not feel like the bird in front of the snake, but more like a flower being admired. She shook that train of thought from her head, reminding herself of why she was here.

"I knew him before his downfall, then when Thor and he… They fought, and he fell from the bifrost that connected our world to yours."

"So you're the mother?" Rogers said after a moment. Anja nodded.

"He left me with child when he fell from the Bifrost."

Rogers took a step away from her, taking her in. "And you're willing to go against him…"

Anja nodded. "I've no choice."

"There's always a choice," Rogers replied. "I cannot believe he would leave you like that." In truth, Rogers did not know anything about the psycho that had taken up residence in the Hulk's holding cell. He had learned from a few files on the Norse god that he had been exiled from Asgard before reappearing a year later here on Earth. But he could not wrap his head around the idea that the man would leave his wife with a baby in her belly. Rogers had known men that would have given everything to be home to see their families back in the war. Yet this guy had left willingly…then went power crazy with a young child waiting for him at home. How had his departure left Anja?

Anja raised her eyebrows. "He was unwell. That is all I can say for him." There, that was her answer. But uncertainty was behind her eyes.

She started walking again, a bit faster. Rogers kept up with her, the lab that Banner and Stark were working in approaching on his left. "Doesn't mean he has the right to treat a lady the way he did," Rogers muttered. He could see the girl to his right start a bit at his words. Was she really so unaccustomed to chivalry? No, he could tell she remembered it, knew what it was, but it had just been a while since she had come across it.

He promised himself that he would show her how she should be treated in the near future, when all this was said and done.

*o*O*o*

"_Anja…"_

The sound of Loki's voice in her head made her stop in her tracks as Anja felt the source of the power she had felt grow closer. She realized it was within the room that Rogers was about to head into.

"This is my stop-" Rogers looked down at her for a moment. "You okay? You look a little green."

Anja's head had, in fact, started to spin at the sound of that voice. She knew that Loki was contained, but that glass would not hold him if he truly desired to be out of it. Not with that dark magic he possessed.

She looked up at Rogers as he shot out a hand to steady her. His big hand was warm… incredibly warm and… comforting? No, she should not have felt that at all. "Aye," she said after a moment, swallowing down the bile that had risen in her throat.

Rogers looked at her for a moment. "Well, this is my stop. Is this where you were headed too?"

His gaze was nothing but kind as he looked down at her.

"_Come to me, My Skylark…"_

The voice, chilled and like a dagger of ice through her thoughts as she listened to it, piped up again and she suppressed an outright shiver.

"No." She was speaking more so to Loki than Rogers, but the sharp tone in her voice was enough to make him study her intently.

"You sure you're alright?" he said. "Do I need to call a medic or something? I can take you down to the hospital wing."

"I am fine, Captain, I assure you. I just need… rest." The last word fell from her tongue as easily as the silver words that rolled off of Loki's silver tongue.

Rogers nodded as he took her in a moment longer. "Okay then, just… take care."

She gave him a wry smile before he entered the lab. She could see Doctor Banner and The mortal called Stark without his armor in there… and Loki's staff was propped up on the table. That confused Anja slightly. Why were they running tests on Loki's weapon? Was it a lead to the so-called Tesseract.

"_Anja. I do not wish to be kept waiting, My Darling…"_

Anja could feel a cold breeze rustle her hair at that and she shivered outright. A faint trail of amgic was leading her down the hall… to the elevator…

*o*O*o*

Loki felt her before he saw her, the smell of her powers penetrating the glass case he found himself in. She was a level above him, looking down at him from behind, leaning against the railing of the balcony.

Anja would hear him, just as Fury had."Patience is not one of my most prominent virtues, My Love," he said coldly to the ceiling.

"Let us not dwell on that, Loki, for your greater concern is the fact that you have so few virtues left by now." He sneered a bit at that comment, still waiting on her to appear in front of him.

Quick as a flash, Anja had disappeared from her spot above him, landing in front of him as she zipped in and out of her mist state. "Why did you want to talk to me, Loki," she said after a moment.

"I cringe to think of you in such simple Midgardian fashion, My Love," he said as he took in her new clothing, not answering her for a moment before sighing under her unwavering gaze. He let out a chuckle. "Is it not fitting for a king to insist on the well-being of his wife?"

She furrowed her brow, looking down as she crossed her arms. She had remained a good ten feet away from the glass wall. His gaze bored into her, and she found herself unable not to meet his eyes.

Just like that, Loki was able to see a series of images flashing through her head. He saw his brother Thor, sitting in the bridge and sulking like the spoiled brat he was. He saw his weapon, the spear derived from the depths of space, poised on the table in the lab of the good doctor and infuriating man of iron. He was able to see the flash of blue eyes skittering across the back of her mind before she looked up again, breaking the contact.

"I have missed you," he said as a smirk crossed his features. "And I do apologize for throwing you from the mountain, but I thought you would take away a good lesson from the frivolity of those mortals' fighting."

"You were the cause of it," she said suddenly, anger coursing through her. Her thoughts were too jumbled from her anger as he took her in, silver meeting emerald. "They would have not done such things had you not messed with their thought patterns."

Loki took a step closer, pressing long-fingered hand to the glass as he took her in. "Oh, My Lady Anja… There is so much to this that you do not understand."

"You keep telling me that, Loki," she said as she took several steps closer to him in the glass cage. She felt emboldened all the sudden, Rogers' words in the hallway coming back to her.

"_Doesn't mean he had the right to treat a lady the way he did…" _

In that moment, she knew Rogers was right. Loki had been nothing but arrogant to her since his jealousy had consumed him. "Loki… What has happened to the man I loved in the garden?"

"He is gone, replaced by someone stronger," Loki replied. He would have taken her in his arms if he could, but, as it was, glass separated them… such a silly little attempt at a barricade. But he would not leave it. Not yet. His work was not done here yet.

"OR someone weaker," she replied evenly. Anger flashed in his eyes.

"You dare call me weak?" he asked coolly.

Anja was shaking, but it was from her new found bravery. "In this state, yes. Loki, I tried to believe in you. I tried to make you happy. But like I said on that mountain… You have changed even since you fell from Asgard. You are nothing but a weak, spoiled-"

At that, Loki's hand had shot out to her throat, sending through the glass as dark magic allowed him to manipulate his prison. He pulled her closer to him, her face nearly pressing against the glass. Her gaze flickered to the camera that was supposed to be watching him and he saw it.

"You think I would bring you down here to talk to you when there was a chance I might be discovered?" he hissed again. "Oh, Anja…" He let out a laugh at her as she struggled in his grip… and pulled himself all the way through the glass to stand in front of her, swinging her around and pressing her against the outer wall of his prison. "I daresay I am far from weak, My Love." He trailed a hand down the side of her cheek, a cruel smile on his face as he felt her pulse hammer under his hand at her throat.

* * *

**Ta-daaaa…Ok.. yeah, there will be more as soon as possible, guys. I hate that this was a cliff hanger, but we all know that he will somehow end up back in prison, right? ;) I am finally happy to say that Anja has grown a pair. I am so much happier writing for her now! **

**Leave me a note? I need to hear what y'all think! **

**Til next update,**

**~Sirius **


	16. Chapter 16: Rubato

"_Holy water cannot help you now_

_See I've come to burn your kingdom down_

_And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out_

_I'm gonna raise the stakes, I'm gonna smoke you out"_

_~ 'Seven Devils'_

* * *

Loki's grasp on Anja's throat was firm, but she did not feel her air supply diminish as he held her against the glass. That did not mean that she was comfortable though.

"Loki," she rasped out, meeting his gaze.

Loki could see her fear in her thoughts as she took in what was happening. The smile on his face was still there as he took her in. "You still think me weak, Anja?" he said after she stopped struggling. His hand slid down the length of her neck to rest on her shoulder, still pinning her to the glass but no longer choking her.

She blinked once, coughing a bit as she regained her composure. Tears stung her eyes, but they were not from emotional weakness. Not anymore. "You are the weakest you have been since I met you, Loki." She stared him straight in the face as she spoke, gaze unwavering and persistent. "You are not the man I love anymore."

_Bam_. At her words, Loki's hand had flown, landing in a fist just to the right of Anja's head against the glass wall. She flinched, her eyes dropping down to look at his feet as her nostrils flared. His strength- the strength that he had only used with her to hold her up- shook rattled the glass. "How dare you… after all we have been through, after you bore my child… you would leave me after all of this time?" There was anger in his eyes… but there was also hurt. She was wounding him with her words as she spoke, but enough was enough.

Her eyes flashed back to look into his face. "And how dare you ask me to be someone I am not to fit your twisted schemes? You knew what dark magic would do to me from the beginning. I am not you, I never was you. Even in our most innocent moments in Asgard… I have always been me. Anja of Vanaheim. You do not define me any longer, Loki. I have- as you so eloquently suggested- learned to fly on my own."

Her breathing was quick and erratic as she looked back at the emerald fire that glared back at her. She was not afraid though, not anymore. As the anger subsided, she felt the temperature drop and Loki let out an icy laugh. "You are so naïve, My Dear. It truly is interesting to watch how you react to me." He leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. She shivered. "All in its time though. You are not safe in here. Your powers will find you. Aye, you've repressed them, that darker side, but I think it will spring forth sooner than later." He saw the image of the blue-suited Captain Rogers flash through her. Why was she dwelling on that simple mortal? "And what would your new friends think of you after they saw who you truly were?"

Anja's silver eyes glared back at him, fire surging through her veins as she looked at Loki, his grip on her shoulder pushing her back. She was trapped in every sense of the word… aggravation boiled up within her and her eyes flashed to a reflective state.

Loki arched a single eyebrow, surprised but pleased at how she had reacted. Just a little more… "Perhaps they would revile you. My brother is no appreciator of magic and this organization, SHIELD, does not keep those that may defy them any longer than necessary, especially since they know you are my betrothed," his thumb stroked her cheek, dark energy rolling off of her in waves. "I am the only home you have anymore. You ache for knowledge, I ache for power… was it not you who claimed knowledge to be power all those years ago? You wish to control everything, be sure of everything. What am I doing any differently? You are so much like me, yet you allow your misguided morals to leave you blind."

There it was… the dark magic. She pushed him off of her with a strength that she had never experienced before, taking him by the collar of his armor. She was too far gone to register the slight look of disbelief and surprise that danced across his eyes as the silver of her own swallowed all sense of herself.

With a deep breath, she slung him back through the glass, concentrating all her energy on keeping him in there. For good. She wove a spell from the depths of her mind, placing a net like bit of energy around the prison. Loki was smiling as he realized she was using her dark magic… The net of silver light encased the holding cell, leaving a grid-like pattern along the smooth glass before fading within it. It looked as normal as ever.

Then, as quickly as the bout had come, Anja fell to the floor, gasping for breath as her eyes resumed their natural color. Loki clapped once from his prison before stepping back up to the glass. He placed a palm up to it as he took her in, a grin on his face. It was not until he attempted to step through to her did he realize what she had done. As he summoned his powers in an effort to step through, an electrical surge rocked through his body and landed him on his back in the center of the cell. His face fell and his emerald green eyes flashed. "You-"

"Say no more," she gasped, cutting him off as she righted herself. She gave him a weak smile as she saw the look of utter surprise on his face at what she had done. "You wanted to see me use my darker abilities, did you not?"

He pressed his lips together in a thin line, looking down his nose at her.

"Goodbye Loki," she said evenly as she made to turn away from him. She ignored him when he called out to her, the boots of her Midgardian clothing clicking along the floors.

*o*O*o*

Loki stared at the spot that she had left for a long time, long after Anja was gone, and long after the sun began to shine through the small windows above his cell. He was unsure of her true feelings for he had not had the chance to read her thoughts before she had left him. There was no doubting that she had been angry with him, but to what extent he was unsure. Last time she had been angry with him she had come back to him with a simple touch. But, unpredictable as ever, Anja had left him with little idea as to what she intended. She had turned to the darker side of her magic to imprison him. She had used a magical deterrent, some form of dark energy designed to prevent him from using his own to escape. He let out a smile as he began to pace back and forth, running his hands through his hair in irritation. He did not see the errors of his ways. All he saw was his Anja not wanting anything to do with him.

She was everything and more that he needed in a queen, yet she was too blinded by that indescribable human streak that his own brother possessed. In a way, her surrender- for he knew she would when she saw what a lost cause Thor's plight was- would be that much sweeter when she finally gave into him… For who would be left to take her in when this world fell?

*o*O*o*

Anja stopped in her tracks as she made her way down the hallways of the hellicarrier. A power mirroring that of the Tesseract was coming from behind one of the doors that she had come to pass. And it was overwhelming…

Ever the sorceress, she had to know what it was. With a glance in either direction, she went to leaned against the door, focusing all her energy on using her own magic, not the dark magic that she had used to keep Loki contained. She was still unnerved by that encounter, and she needed something to get him from her mind. She would tackle the problem at another time when her head was clearer.

He had physically attacked her. In Asgard, he had never tried something like that. This encounter was yet another bit of proof that he was far from the lover she had known in the gardens.

The energy she felt coming from behind the large metal door soon brought her back to what was in front of her. it was exactly like what she had felt coming from the Tesseract. She knew she was pushing her luck being here, but she needed to know what was behind that door. It was a siren call that pulled her towards the unknown energy source.

She looked left, then right, before closing her eyes, inhaling, and shifting her body into a mist shape. Quickly, silently, she slipped through the door like a ghost. The room was dark… and, oddly enough, cold. Piles upon piles of crates lined the single walkway that led further into the dark recesses of the room. She could feel a wave of cold energy, and she smiled to herself as she realized it was Loki's irritation. Only she, who was able to read energy patterns, would know what the wave meant.

As she inched further into the room, she heard the unmistakable click of the door handle that she had just come through. A thousand curses flew through her mind. She knew good and well that she should not have been there, negating the fact that the crates said "Top Secret". She slipped behind a few of the crates, preparing to slip into a mist state, before she realized that Steve Rogers was the person that had come through the doors, a determined, but slightly puzzled look in his steely blue gaze.

*o*O*o*

A slight sound behind Loki made stop short of his pacing and freeze. Ah… of course she would be coming by to see him…

"There's not many that can sneak up on me," he said as he turned to see Agent Romanoff standing in the doorway, arms crossed as she stood in front of the ledge that led to his suspended prison. Barton had told him much about this mortal. She was strong… and she was crafty. She served as merely an annoyance to him now, interrupting his thoughts. But this would be fun. He knew what she wanted. He just needed to play his cards right. She, just like the rest of her pathetic race, would fall to his capabilities.

"Bet you figured I'd come," her voice was deep, layered with control.

"After," he said after a moment. "After whatever tortured Fury could concoct. You would appear as a friend. As a balm. And I would cooperate."

She pursed her lips slightly. "I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton," she said after a moment.

He laughed. "I daresay I've expanded his mind."

"And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?"

Oh, this was rich indeed. He was being presented the opportunity to really mess with a mortal's mind. Love. Love was the main variable in this equation. This woman was already unstable… "Is this love, Agent Romanoff?"

"Love is for children. I owe him a debt."

_Interesting answer… _"Tell me," he said after a moment as he went to sit down on the one bench within his cell. She faltered for a moment before going to sit down in front of where he sat.

"Before I worked for SHIELD, I uh- well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call." _Such sentiment…_

"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" he said, laying the trap.

"Not let you out," she said quickly, a programmed answer.

"Oh, but I like this," he said with an evil grin as he stood up. "Your world in the balance, and you bargain for the life of one man?" Even his Anja was not so stupid when it came to emotions. She did what she had to for the cause she believed in. She held conviction for what she believed in at the very least, something she had just proven in fact.

"Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian," she looked off a bit. "Or, I was."

"And what are you now?" he said quietly, one question, so simple, but enough for something to stir in the agent's blue eyes.

"It's really not that complicated," she said as she stood up, arms folding back across her chest. "I got red on my ledger; I'm looking to wipe it out."

"Can you," he began. Oh yes, his moment of victory in this small battle was drawing near. "Can you wipe out that much red?" He paused for a moment, looking at her. "Drakoff's daughter… The hospital fire…" Oh yes, this was worth listening to her little sob story indeed. The look in her eyes was priceless. "Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic!" he spat that last word. "You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away." It did not register with him that what he said was a twisted version of describing his and Anja's relationship. Only he was not trying to save her. He was trying to change her.

As he spoke, he had edged closer to the glass. She had watched him, her disbelief evident in her face. In his anger, he slammed a fist against the glass, as he had done with Anja, his spit flying and hitting the glass in his anger. "I won't touch Barton! Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim."

Natasha turned away, shaking a bit as she buried her face in her hands. "You're a monster," she said through a sob. Oh, the irony of that. She was calling him the very thing he had once feared to be. Well, he supposed it was true now. He had embraced that a long time ago though.

"No," he said as he took an elegant step back. "You brought the monster." Surely she would not be smart enough to figure out the double meaning in his words.

Her head snapped around, and he was surprised to find her eyes dry. "The hulk?" she said after a moment. He looked at her blankly. "That's your play?"

"What?" he said, completely dumbfounded that she had put two and two together.

He listened to her speak into her ear piece, back to the official tone. "Thank you," she said, a smile hinting about her lips. "For your cooperation."

Then she was gone.

Somewhere, he could hear Anja's laugh in his head. What his betrothed was laughing about was uncertain, but the emotional tie he held to her with the spell told him that somewhere she found something funny.

* * *

**Sorry this wasn't up sooner. I just moved into college this weekend and have been super busy. Unfortunately, I will be having less and less time to write as I am a pre-med student and need to focus on my grades. Updates will be fewer, but I will do my best to get one up every two or three days. Also, for those of you that are following Paradise Lost, I promise I haven't forgotten about it, I just am at a loss as to how to move forward with it. I will update when the muse hits :) For those that need some Loja feels fulfilled, I started a mini-fic involving Loja smut. Hopefully that'll hold the lover!Loki lovers over til i can update the other... **

**Also, the Loki/Black Widow scene was another of my favorites in the movie. I had to get that out somehow. ;) **

** Thanks for all the GREAT reviews! Please keep them coming,**

**~Sirius **


	17. Chapter 17: Counterpoint II

"_And now all your love will be exorcised _

_And we will find your sayings to be paradox _

_And it's an even sum _

_It's a melody _

_It's a battle cry _

_It's a symphony."_

_~ 'Seven Devils'_

* * *

Steve walked briskly into the dimly lit room, ignoring the sudden temperature drop that accompanied the storage units of SHIELD. He walked straight into the storage unit, ensuring the door to the outside world closed behind him noiselessly. He didn't want anyone knowing he was down here and he was determined to find out what SHIELD was hiding from him on his own. Part of him, as much as he hated to admit it, also didn't want to be dependent on Howard's son for anything. Tony Stark was too arrogant for his own good, a man that reminded him too much of the bullies that used to pick on him when he was… normal.

A sound behind him made him stop in his tracks the second he heard it. It sounded like booted feet falling along the tiled floor. Who knew he was here? Or… who had been in here before him in the first place?

He snapped his head around to see Anja, a serene expression on her silver gaze, lips pressed into a thin line as her brows knitted together. Steve felt heat rush to his cheeks as he took her in. "Anja?"

"Captain Rogers," she said quietly. "What are you doing down here?"

Steve took a step backwards, studying the young woman. There was something different than the last time he had seen her. Her expression was even darker and worry lines were etched into her forehead. "I could ask you the exact same question," he replied after a moment of awkward silence.

The corner of her lips twitched up in a half smile, one she quickly suppressed. Was she laughing at him?!

"I felt a significant amount of energy coming from this room," she said automatically, as if the fact that she had just been caught in a restricted area – even to Steve but he wasn't about to let her know that- did not bother her at all. "It interested me," she said more softly.

Steve felt even more heat rush to his cheeks. "Ah. Well, you really shouldn't be in here."

"And from the looks of the sign and padlock out front neither should you," she quipped, arms crossing over her chest. "It appears we both find ourselves in a predicament."

Steve looked at her, unblinking, unsure of how to take her words. "Well," he said after another moment. Anja raised an eyebrow as she looked up to the second story that the room boasted.

"I am quite curious as to what is up there, though. It reminds me a bit of the Tesseract's energy readings." Her silver eyes had lit up at that, all traces of darkness gone. This was a woman that meant to learn anything she could about everything. Despite himself, Steve felt even more uncomfortable… like no matter what he said he wouldn't impress her. "Will you stop me, Captain Rogers?" she asked quietly, turning her gaze back to his.

It was Steve's turn to suppress a smile, a feeling that was quickly blotted out by the current state of things. What was he doing? He was here for a reason, wasn't he?

When he didn't respond, Anja gave him a half smile, turning into a mist state and zipping up to the top floor, landing safely behind the railing that sat before the loft-like structure. When she turned back to look down at him, she could make out his figure scaling the balcony, slipping into place beside her as he looked around. "Only a few minutes," he mumbled. It had not left his mind that she was still Loki's betrothed. He hated the idea that that bastard had had the chance to mess with her. Would she be any different if he hadn't screwed with her head so much? She was so aloof, but the way she carried her pride showed that it was something she had not been raised to believe in. There was not a doubt in Steve's mind that Loki had planted some misguided idea in her head.

Anja smiled at him faintly as she summoned a small ball of light from the electrical impulses of the emergency strip lighting that lined the walkways. It allowed her to see what was in front of her more clearly and Steve's large presence did not go unnoticed as he trailed behind her. She held the light at arm's length, the soft glow illuminating the countless boxes that were emitting power like gamma radiation. Her footsteps made little sound now as she crept down the rows of crates.

She began to notice writing on the boxes as the two got further into the crates. She stopped short as she took in the writing as it grew legible from her light source. Rogers stopped behind her as well, looking over her shoulder as she took in what the crate's said.

"HYDRA…" she said softly as she cut her eyes to look over her shoulder at Steve. "Are you familiar with this?" she asked quietly.

The captain seemed to take part in some sort of ironic internal joke as he looked at the crate. "A little too well, ma'am," he said after a moment. "I fought against them before I went into hibernation… But I can't imagine why SHIELD would want the stuff, especially seventy years after the organization went extinct."

Anja pursed her lips. She had read about the so called HYDRA organization during her time at The Academy. Only while she had been studying it, the organization was still in power in Midgard. She remembered that distinctly. The time differences between the realms came back to her. Seventy years had flown by on Midgard while she had spent nary five years in Asgard. During that time, wars had erupted all over this sorrowful realm… and yet the gods had stood by and done nothing as a relic they had once possessed destroyed innocent lives. Rogers had had to clean up the mess that her people had given rise to.

"Well," she said quietly as she reached a tentative hand out to the crate. "Let us find out."

*o*O*o*

"Damn," Rogers' curse bounced off of the walls, despite how quiet he had kept his voice. It had been a hiss, a slip up that really shouldn't have happened with a lady present. "Sorry," he said after a moment as he looked down at the crate that he had pried open when Anja's simple magic had failed.

The girl's brow furrowed, but she did not question why he had apologized to her. Was she really so unaccustomed to civility?!

His fingers reached into the crate, ignoring the packing peanuts as his fingers met cold metal. A HYDRA helmet was in his grasp… and just below it, one of the weapons that Red Skull had used as a prototype during his quest for world domination.

Stark had been right. With irritation, he looked up at Anja, whose face had turned slightly pale. She obviously knew what this meant.

"You mortals certainly have a knack for self-destruction, don't you?" she whispered. Her silver eyes caught the glow of the blue power source for the HYDRA weapon.

In that moment, Steve didn't think he could legitimately argue. Everything about her statement had been correct. "How dare they…"

Anja inhaled as she stepped back, letting out a shaky breath. Was true goodness supposed to be so hard to come by? She had allowed herself to be taken in, offered sanctuary by this organization, SHIELD. Yet the very organization that she had sought refuge with was now hiding a secret even worse than what she could imagine. If these humans were willing to lie and cheat and kill… How were they any better than Loki? What made them worth saving?

Rogers' reaction was the only thing that kept her from losing it completely. "They should have known not to screw around with this," he said evenly. She was unsure if he was talking to himself or her. He slung a heavy arm down to scoop the nearest gun up, hoisting it over his shoulder as he looked down at her. It was then that she realized that he truly had no knowledge of this whatsoever.

He looked at her briefly. "I'm heading down to the lab right now. We are going to get to the bottom of this."

He was angry at his own leaders. When Anja met his gaze, she recognized the look in his eyes: Betrayal, disappointment, the shattering of hope. It was everything she had felt when she had lost her trust in Loki… something she still felt even now that she was away from him.

She nodded, following behind him as he made his way back to the door that the two had come through.

* * *

**Really didn't care for this chapter. Not sure why, but it felt like yet another connecting piece for this story. Next chapter will have some Tony POV (hopefully) and a whole lot more 'Aneve'. **

**Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Loja ;) They'll see each other soon… In the meantime, I'd love to hear theories about what she will do when *hemLokiescapeshem* do you think she'll join him again? :)**

**Let me know how I'm doing? I love and cherish the support you guys leave for me every update. It really keeps me enthusiastic about this story…**

**~Sirius **


	18. Chapter 18: Dissonance

**Ok, this next little bit will not be exactly like the movie (Hence the AU aspect of this fic) so please don't get upset if the lines aren't right. I am going off of my own imagination here, people. Thanks!**

* * *

"_It's a harder way and it's come to claim her_

_And I always say, we should be together_

_And I can see below, 'cause there's something in here_

_And if you are gone, I will not belong here"_

_~ 'Breath of Life' by Florence and the Machine_

* * *

Tony Stark propped himself lazily against the white counters of the lab. From the space that he was sitting at, he could see out the great wall of glass that showed a wide expanse of open sky. He popped a blueberry in his mouth from the bag he had managed to swipe from the mess hall. No one had seemed too keen to stop him. He was _the_ Tony Stark, after all. In front of him, Bruce Banner worked, huddled and cramped in his own section of the lab.

He turned back to the small hand-held device in his hand, finishing off the virus that would allow him to gain access to SHIELD's most secretive files. He looked up at the sound of the doors sliding open with a hiss. "What are you doing, Mr. Stark?"

Tony looked up at the sound of Nick Fury walking into the lab. "Uh- Kind of wondering the same thing about you," he quipped, thankful as ever for his sharp tongue.

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract," Fury replied evenly.

"We are, the model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile." Doctor Banner's calm and collected voice reached Tony's ears and he popped another blueberry in his mouth, fighting back a grin.

"Yup. And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss…" At the push of a button, the information on Tony's handheld device shot to display on the computer screen in front of him. "What exactly is Phase Two?"

A loud thud directed everyone's attention to the pair that had come into the room. "Phase Two is SHIELD uses the cube to build weapons." Rogers' voice was radiating pissed off super soldier. Slightly behind him, the Asgardian woman- Anja? Tony had been referring to her as long-legs in his head- was standing next to the large weapon that Rogers had produced from seemingly out of nowhere. "Sorry," Rogers said quickly to Tony. "Computer was moving a little slow for me."

Fury's eye had snapped to Anja a second before looking back at Rogers. He did not miss the semi-reflective state her irises seemed to have taken. She was clearly angry… "Now Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This doesn't mean-"

"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony interrupted. "What were you lying?"

"It seems I was mistaken, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." Anja's silver eyes looked over to Steve, taking him in as he spoke. Tony could tell she was really, really pissed… and a pissed off sorceress was something he'd rather avoid.

*o*O*o*

At that point Thor and Romanoff had come into the room, Thor's large blue eyes sober and calculating. "Did you know about this?" Banner asked the red-head.

Anja looked to Thor, the temper that had been rising within her losing some of its potency as she took in the god of thunder. "You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?" Natasha said quietly, lethally.

"I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed," Banner replied quickly.

"Loki's manipulating you."

"And you've been doing what, exactly?" Banner had edged towards the table, moving away from Romanoff's reach. "I'm not leaving cuz suddenly you get a little bit twitchy. Now. I want to know why SHIELD is making weapons out of the Tesseract's energy source."

Romanoff's icy glare should have been enough to freeze Banner in his tracks, but it was Fury who spoke up next.

"Because of these guys," he said as he pointed to Thor and Anja. Thor raised an eyebrow, flabbergasted.

"What?" Anja said quickly. "I've not been here for quite some time."

"Aye, Director," Thor spoke up. "And the last time I was here I aided you. How can you think us the enemy?"

"Last year earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, out-gunned. And then we find out that there's some form of magical beings at work behind it too. Anja," he turned to face her. She was still next to Steve. "You found your own means to our realm without anything science could come up with. Now that we know Loki has those same abilities we have to act."

"So you turn to weapons such as these… things?" Anja said quickly, stepping in front of Steve at this point.

"A nuclear deterrent," Tony piped up, correcting her. "Because that always calms everything right down." That last line was directed at Fury and sarcasm dripped from his tone.

"Remind me again how you earned your fortune, Mr. Stark," Fury said snidely.

"I'm sure if Stark still made weapons he'd be neck deep in this-" Steve had started to say something, but Tony cut him off.

"Wait a second. How is this now about me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve said with fake concern.

That was when Anja felt something hit her like a tidal wave. It was a wave of energy, strong and powerful… There was only one person she knew with the ability to form something so strong, and he was locked up in an enchanted steel trap five decks below her feet. What did he want now?

Thor's booming voice brought her back for the moment. "I thought humans were more evolved than this," he said as he watched Tony and Steve go at it. Anja did not catch what Fury said in turn as another wave of energy, stronger and more persistent this time, rolled over her. It was Stark's voice that she heard next and it was being directed towards her.

"And how do I know you and she didn't just happen to stumble upon these while you were out on your little date," Tony's voice was loud and clear. "Sorry but I feel like 'Captain America'" Tony emphasized the name- "should pay more attention to orders."

"And how do we know she isn't his spy?" That was Romanoff's voice now, quickly answered by Thor's booming one.

"Lady Anja is good and just. She will do what is right."

"For our mission? Or for her? Last I checked raising a kid wasn't the easiest thing in the world." Romanoff's voice was getting rather irritating.

"You leave her out of this," Steve snapped, his ears red. He didn't know why he was being so defensive, but somehow he felt like Anja had been through enough. Anja paid little attention to the conversation as her head threatened to explode. She could sense something that these mortals- nor Thor- could. It was dark, darker than most of the energy she had ever come up with. And, like the center of a beam of light, she was able to tell where the energy was coming from, invading the minds of those in the room with her. She took a step backwards, clutching her head in her hands. Tony and Steve had come up nose to nose and Romanoff was arguing with Banner again. This was wrong, so wrong. How could he reach her here?

_Because I am everywhere, Anja…_

Her pupils dilated at the sound of him in her head. Her fingers tightened around the flesh of her forehead, eyes screwed shut as an intense ringing grew in her ears.

"And it'd be a hell of a lot harder if his dad was the tyrannical ruler of our world." That was Fury's voice. She could make that out through the ringing in her head. And then there was his voice…

_Look at these vermin, My Love. See how they squabble? How they bicker? We could end that. But you will have to choose…_

What in Valhalla was he talking about?! He was trapped. He wasn't leaving. She had made sure of that… hadn't she? Yet his voice was a caress to her senses and she could practically feel his icy breath on her neck. She shuddered, unsure if it was from her fear or desire…

_Stay safe, My Sweetheart…_

The ringing only intensified and she fought to remain alert, trying to figure out what her next move would be. Then Thor's voice, the only voice of reason that she felt she could latch onto at that moment, spoke up. "You speak of control, yet you court chaos. This team- I was led to understand- should be stopping-"

"So you think we're a team? No. No. We're not a team, we're a chemical mixture that creates chaos. We're- We're a time bomb." The truth in Banner's words caught her off guard.

"You need to step away," Fury said quickly, anger rising in the once calm director.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam, eh?" Anja watched as Tony Stark's hand came down on Rogers' shoulder in a friendly fashion and she felt bile rise in her throat. No. She couldn't be sick here. She could not appear weak in front of these mortals who could still quite possibly be her enemies…

Rogers seemed to snap and he slapped Tony's hand away. "You know damn well why. Back off."

"I'm starting to want you to make me," Stark said quietly, threatening the super soldier.

"Hey!" Anja managed as she took a step towards the two. "Fighting amongst ourselves will not help us at all. I know Loki. I know how his mind works. He is manipulating us." She heard a sharp intake of breath as she spoke, Loki's surprise at her outburst, no doubt.

"And I do not know my own brother?" Thor said indignantly as he took a step to Anja. Now the god of thunder had been roped into this.

"Yes, for you definitely seemed to be so in tune to his needs in Asgard, Thor," she said sarcastically, her wooziness still affecting her.

"And you were?" Thor threw back, the gentle giant bristling to the proud warrior that lay just below the surface of his calm demeanor.

"I tried, My Prince," she shot back. She did not go into the depth of her argument for she did not think it something that the mortals around her needed to hear. Banner's voice also pulled her from her anger.

Banner let out a curse under his breath, taking in the computer that had gone off. The tracer had done its work.

"We found it, but… Oh my God." The quiet professor turned to the room as Anja felt the energy readings intensify.

_Anja, get yourself to safety… Come to me. This shall not end well for the good doctor… or the ship. You cannot save them, pet. You cannot save a people so bent on self-destruction. Come. _

Loki's voice was slightly panicked in her head, but she ignored it as she took in the scene around her… and was blown off her feet by an explosion that seemed to come out of nowhere.

*o*O*o*

When Anja landed on solid ground again, she was lying on top of something large, warm, and incredibly comfortable. Her eyes were squeezed shut, head spinning. She could swear she could hear footsteps running, but she had little to no idea where they were… No, they were directly under her ear.

Her eyes snapped open as she realized that Captain Rogers was struggling to gain his bearings as well, her head awkwardly resting on his chest. The footsteps she thought she had been hearing were the frantic beat of his heart. She gasped for breath as she regained her composure, sitting up quickly as she looked around. Smoke clouded the air and filled her nostrils. This was bad. Very bad.

"Put on the suit," she managed to hear Rogers say to Stark as the two got up to stand next to her. Tension rolled off of Rogers in waves, but it was not the anger she had felt on him in the lab. This was a soldier ready for battle.

"Yep," Tony replied as he took off in the opposite direction of the lab that they had just come out of. "Locate Engine Three. I'll meet you there," he called over his shoulder.

"You alright?" Steve said as he took off down the hall in the opposite direction as Stark, Anja right behind him.

She nodded. "Yes, Captain Rogers," she quipped. "Where are we going?"

"There's a problem with one of the engines. That's what Stark told me. You up for some repair work? Your magic'd probably be a help."

Anja nodded as she summoned her bow from her chambers, the molecules solidifying in her right hand as the quiver reformed on her back. It was rather awkward in the jumpsuit she was wearing, but it would have to do. She was right next to Steve, keeping up with him as she used her magic to enhance her speed.

She stopped in her tracks when she heard the guttural roar of a beast. Her eyes met Steve's, silver orbs widening as her fear threatened to surface.

"We can't worry about Banner right now," Steve said in a clipped tone. He was worried too. "We have to get the engine fixed."

He was calming her with a simple statement, and Anja felt her nerves vanish as he reached out to her with a reassuring hand and pulled her along with him, running at top speed towards the engine hangars. Despite Steve's reassurance, her comfort barely touched the pool of darkness that weighed in her mind.

Loki had gotten what he wanted. The Beast was awake.

* * *

**Phew, I can't say how happy I am to have finally gotten into the action part of this. Once again I felt like I used way too much of the movie but… well, that's how the ball bounces I guess… Next chapters should be my own scenes so 'yay' for that! ;) **

**There is now a poll on my profile for you guys to check out. It would really help me move this story along for you lovely readers if you went and left me some feedback on it :) It has to do with Loja v Aneve. **

**Review? **

**~Sirius **


	19. Chapter 19: No Light, No Light

"_You are the night time fear_

_You are the morning when it's clear_

_When it's over you'll start_

_You're my head_

_You're my heart"_

_~ "No Light, No Light" by Florence + the Machine_

* * *

"Okay," Stark's voice was loud and clear in Steve's earpiece once he and Anja had made it to the engines. Steve's ears pricked up as he heard the sound of air whooshing around behind a door… and he noticed that sunlight was creeping through the bottom of it. Wait. Sunlight? That room should have been dark. This didn't look good for the home team at all.

With a burst of strength, Steve pulled the door away from its hinges, Anja not far behind him as air tore at their hair. "Gods…" he heard her say from behind him as she took in the scene of ripped open metal and bare wires flying. Wind tore at her long hair, pulling loose strands from the braid she had tied it back with. She felt her magic fire up as the air seemed to penetrate her body. Her mist state would make this easier…

"Stark. I'm here. Can ya here me?!" Anja looked to Captain Rogers as she made way for a group of mortals- no. people- to pass her.

Stark seemed to have responded as Steve motioned for her to follow him out on the precarious ledge that had been formed after the side of the ship had been blasted away. She followed, her magic growing deep inside her. This was good magic though, natural magic.

"Watch my back," Steve said to her as he turned towards something that Stark had obviously told him to go for. Anja nodded, turning to face the entrance that they had come through. Somewhere deep below, her magic picked up the infinitesimal change in the sips balance. Was Banner still the cause of this? No. Something else was at work. She could feel energy that she had not felt since she had left Barton at Stuttgart… Oh no… Barton. Had Loki's minions come to rescue him?

"Hey, Anja. Stark needs you over there," Steve said strenuously as he pulled back some sort of metal shield from a control panel. "Can you keep it cool while we get the rotors back up?"

Anja nodded, looking down at the thousands of feet that she could plummet if she did not use her magic correctly. _Ok, Anja. You can do this, _she said to herself as she called on the air molecules around her. Quickly, and before she could get too scared, she had jumped across the ten foot gap in the ships bridge system, using the air around her to transform into the mist state that she had always been so fond of. She gained her footing as the ship jerked again… and she nearly fell backwards. She shuddered before she turned her attention back to the fire that was about to start on one of the control panels.

Steve was still working with Stark through the communicator and she was unable to make out what was going on. She turned back to the panel, drawing on as much water from the clouds beneath her as possible, and wrapped them around the system, the liquid not touching it, but acting as a cool blanket of sorts that absorbed the excessive energy. She was reminded again how unique water was and why she had always been drawn to it. As the water temperature rose, it turned back into the gaseous state of water vapor. With concentration, she was able to pull the liquid back, relieving the heat and stopping the fire.

The gun shot that took her in her right arm was something she was not counting on. Just as the flimsy bullets had done back in Loki's bunker, the shot bounced off of her here as well, but the next stream of bullets that took her in her chest as she looked around to see where they had come from knocked the wind out of her as she stepped backwards against the wall. "Steve!" she yelled. But the super soldier had already heard her attackers, ducking for cover the moment she was hit.

She ducked down, looking down at her right arm as a small, insignificant bruise formed from the bullet. Steve was looking at her with concern, but he nodded when she mouth "I'm okay."

She regained her breathing, closing her eyes as she waited to see what her companion would do. He was very close to a red lever of sorts, probably something that he needed to engage at the right time to help Stark. She peeked down at two men that had come through the doors… And she recognized Loki's men immediately.

If they were here, Loki was not far from escape either… and she knew exactly what he would try to get before he left. She looked to Steve, catching his eye and mouthing the word "Loki." She had drawn her bow, making ready to fire at the mortals. When a cease in fire occurred, she rose up, taking aim with her magic and sending a single ivory arrow down to the unlucky man. But when the mortal fell, another quickly took its place.

The captain's eyes tightened a bit, but whether it was from the gunfire that had gone off or her mentioning Loki she was unsure. She tilted her head a bit, trying to communicate with him… but it was no use as another round of bullets sprayed over her head. There was another way… Dark magic could be used on Steve so he could hear her thoughts. Loki had done it countless times to her already, sending her those messages while she was in conversation with the mortals…

It had to be done.

She closed her eyes, drawing on her imagination and dark energy as she thought through the message she wanted to send. _"Captain Rogers," _she said through her mind, sending the words on a dark wisp of energy towards the mortal. His head snapped up to hear her in his head. "_I believe Loki is trying to escape."_ The look he shot her was sarcastic. Of course he had realized that. "_I can stop him. But I will have to leave you and Stark." _

The Captain glanced at her again before nodding. With a final nod to him, she closed her eyes, turning to mist as she pulled an ice dagger from the air. She could at least help Steve…

Like she had done so long ago against the frost giants that Loki had let into Asgard, she leaped from the ledge where she had been shielding herself from the bullets, coming directly between the two mortals that had been shooting her moments before. Her ice blade went through one man's throat, another forming in her hand as she plunged it into the other's chest. The M16 that had been in one of their hands was on the ground, and she found herself hoisting it up to Steve before she turned around to go find Loki.

*o*O*o*

Anja had not run so fast in her life as she raced through the ships decks and down a ladder. She had to get to the holding cell. Now.

As she rounded a corner, she ran smack dab into a solid object, unmoving and relentless as she fell backwards with stars in her eyes. "Lady Anja?" Thor's voice boomed as he tugged her to her feet.

She blinked hard, her focus returning as she looked to Thor. "The beast…"

"Friend Banner has gone," Thor said after a moment. Anja furrowed her brow at that, running a hand down her bow. "We must get to my brother."

She nodded, following Thor as he took off down the hall. He rounded another corner, walking straight into the room that housed the hulk's cage.

"No!" Thor's cry of anger took her off guard as she caught up with him, his hammer in hand as he went flying toward a Loki that reeked of dark magic… Anja was so focused on Thor's attempt to take down the man she had loved that she did not realize another dark figure was standing in the shadows not five feet away from her. That was, until Thor went right through Loki's projection and landed squarely in the cage. The door came down swiftly, trapping Thor in place as Anja moved right up to the glass to try to free him with a spell. Nothing registered with her that she couldn't see Loki anywhere.

"Are you ever _not_ going to fall for that?" Loki's chilling voice broke Anja from her frantic attempt to help Thor before she turned around to see him standing there, arms behind his back and a disgusted smirk on his face as he addressed his brother. Anja's eyes were wide as she took Loki in, turning back to the glass one last time in an attempt to manipulate the molecules. It was no use. The dark magic she had used earlier on it held firm. She felt a cold hand snake around her wrist, pulling her back as Loki's lips brushed her ear. It was anything but reassuring though. "It would appear you did your job a bit too well, My Skylark…"

BAM!

Thor's hammer had slammed against the wall of the cage at this point, anger overflowing in his electric blue eyes. The glass cracked, and Anja had to catch her breath as she watched the hinges that held the cage in place give slightly. Loki, though she could not see his face, seemed to stiffen behind her. Good. He needed to be afraid.

Then the laugh he let out made her blood run cold… Reality cut through her thoughts like a knife as Loki spun her around to face him, pressing his lips to hers before she had time to breathe in an extremely rough fashion and one of his men kept watch at the door. The true beast was out of his cage now and she had found herself in his arms- however unwillingly- once again.

* * *

_**AN: Okay, I owe you guys an apology. I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update this! I promise I am trying to but school's pretty demanding. Thank you so much for sticking with me and I will do my best to get next chapter up in a reasonable amount of time. **_


	20. Chapter 20

"_No light, no light in your bright blue eyes_

_I never knew daylight could be so violent_

_A revelation in the light of day_

_You can't choose what stays and what fades away"_

_~ 'No Light, No Light'_

* * *

Loki's lips were cold, hard, and unyielding as he all but smothered her with his kiss. She was unsure of how or why he had managed to get her in this position again, but at the moment she did not particularly care. Her hands, as always, gripped his hair tightly and she let out a moan. Whether it was of despair or pleasure she wasn't sure. Then the pain started.

Fire and ice spread from Loki's kiss straight from her head to her toes. It was a single wave of shock, giving way to a weakness in her knees that slowly overtook her body. She slumped against Loki finally as whatever spell he had cast on her took hold. His lips never left hers as she felt darkness take where her powers had once lived.

Loki cut his eyes back to Thor before breaking the kiss to smirk at the god of thunder. "Do you not see, Anja?" Loki whispered. "You still love me. Our bond is too strong to be denied." She pulled away from him, her hands that had come to rest around his neck unhooking quickly as she stepped away from him.

"Loki." Her voice was strong, despite what she felt. She felt terrible, weak… helpless. "What did you do to me?"

He laughed as she stumbled backwards towards the wall, his darkness leaving her weak. "Tis for the best, My Love," Loki said after a moment. He had sent his darkness into her, a spell that was dangerous in itself. She truly was his weapon now, the final stage in his use of her as spy. Only this time, he would have her at his side, not under the influence of that brainless mortal Steve Rogers that seemed to inhabit her thoughts. She met his gaze as she stumbled again and he could detect her angry thoughts. She tried to free herself from his relentless grasp that came at her again, yet somehow could not fight against him.

She bit her bottom lip, glaring at him as he looked back to Thor. "The humans think us immortal," Loki said with a grin. "Shall we test that?"

"No!" Anja said defiantly as she slung a bit of what was supposed to be magic at her old lover. All that came was a small burst of wind and it barely rustled his greasy black hair. "Loki, please don't. He is your brother!" If her magic would not work, perhaps… Despite her weakened state she ran at Loki, her fists pounding against his chest before his hands came down roughly to her wrists.

Loki shot her a withering look as he bore the brunt of her attack full on. He did not strike back though. He never would harm his Anja. Thor was watching with unspoken apprehension. "Even your lover thinks this folly!" Thor said after a moment. "Take that as a lesson, Loki."

Loki's grasp twisted one of Anja's wrists backwards, knocking her off balance as he held her up, looking into her eyes. Though her eyes seemed to radiate every form of disgust possible, her thoughts betrayed her. She loved him still. Her disgust stemmed from her sadness. As he looked into the silver that had once been his weakness, something shifted in his heart. Whatever feeling he had felt was stuffed down again as he watched defiance blossom in her eyes.

She pulled away, but her strength, due to the spell he had cast on her, was merely that of a human. She stumbled and he reached out to catch her.

The soft thud of his guard hitting the ground broke him from his thoughts and he froze to see one of the agents of SHIELD standing in the doorway, a large gun that radiated the Tesseract's energy.

"Step away," the agent's cool, clipped tone was that of a seasoned officer. "Let the lady go and step aside." Anja felt the atmosphere change considerably around her as Loki let go of her. "You like this?" the agent said as he prepared to fire the weapon. "Even I don't know what it does. You want to find out?"

Anja felt tears prick her eyes. What was this man doing?! Did he not realize the gravity of the situation? That he was dancing with the devil? Her magic still held no spark against Loki. She could not protect him. She prayed to Valhalla that he would not expect her to. But Loki was still behind her… and as long as she kept him away from the human, Agent Coulson would be safe.

And then her heart nearly stopped to see a blade push through Coulson's chest… a blade that had been on the end of Loki's scepter. The hologram of Loki that had been behind her dissipated as Loki's teleportation spell ended, disappearing like the light in Coulson's eyes.

"NO!" Thor's voice was one of despair to see Coulson fall. Anja did not think the god of thunder capable of such emotion. But she did not look at him. All she could see was the pool of deep red blood flowering from under Coulson's white dress shirt. In all her years as a healer, Anja had never seen someone die in cold blood. She was not a warrior. She never had been. All she knew now was that where there had been life, there was nothing but an empty shell. She had seen death happen several times, of course, yet this was so different… So raw.

Loki sidestepped the fallen man, barely looking at her as she took to the floor, crawling towards Coulson. "Anja." Loki's voice stopped her in her meager tracks. "Stand up, My Darling Wife." She felt a tear roll down her right cheek as she looked at Loki briefly. "He is of mere mortal standing. Barely the bat of an eye to us."

She sniffled, shaking her head. "Go to Hel," she managed. His emerald eyes fell, turning away from her to press the button that would send his brother down. She heard the sound of the glass container falling and then nothing. The echoes of the wind mirrored the emptiness in her heart.

*o*O*o*

"Anja," Loki said quietly once Thor was gone. Nothing registered with her that the god of thunder was gone. "Come." Her hands were covered in the mortal's blood as she tried to help him, but the power stint that Loki had put on her was proving most unhelpful. "He is beyond you now."

"No!" she said defiantly, the lightest bits of magic tracing across her fingertips. They were mirror sparks compared to what she should have been able to do.

"Your place is at my side. Come."

"You really have issues with that word don't you?" Coulson surprised the two with his words. "You're going to lose," he said as Anja got over the initial shock of the agent speaking through his injury.

"Am I?" Loki said quietly. "Your heroes are scattered. Your flying fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?"

The next words Coulson spoke would stick with Anja for the rest of her days. "You lack conviction." Three words, so simple, yet the power behind them was true.

Loki's silver tongue was stopped in its tracks before the god could come up with a rhetoric for Coulson. With the pull of the trigger of the HYDRA weapon in Coulson's hands, Loki was sent straight through the metal of the wall, a smoking hole in the metal.

*o*O*o*

"Can't… say I'm sorry about… that," Coulson's breathing was coming in rapid gasps by this point, taking in Anja as she tried and failed to regain some of her magic.

Anja gave him a wry smile, her stress levels rising. She knew she had very little time and Loki's blasted spell was making things increasingly difficult. "I can save you," she said through tears of aggravation. "I should be able to save you."

Coulson seemed to let out a chuckle. "No, not me," he said strenuously. "I'm done." She placed a palm over the wound on his chest, his blood covering her hands. For the briefest moment, she thought her magic might work… but Loki had done too good a job. "Hey." Coulson's voice pulled her gaze back to look at his. " I know… you'll do what's right." No one had ever told her that flat out before. Now, this poor, dying man was giving her the strength she needed to keep going.

A sound from behind her made he think it was Loki coming back for her, but when she turned her head, Director Fury was rushing into the room, a detail of medics following him. He crouched down to look Coulson in the eye as Anja stepped away.

She listened as Coulson, broken and dying, informed Fury of what had happened. It was soon all too much for her and she turned away from the two.

Loki had done this. He had manipulated his way through SHIELD. He had killed one of the few people she had deemed good here. Thor was gone, though she knew he would not die. That fall would not be enough to kill him, but at the moment he was lost to her. The only person she could think to talk to at present had been fixing engines just a few minutes before.

As Fury kept speaking to Coulson, Anja found herself stepping through the hole that had been blasted through the wall. She looked left, then right as she took in the hallway that Loki should have been lying injured in. She was still weak, oh so weak.

_This is not over, My Skylark._

His words chilled her to the core as she realized he was speaking to her once more.

_We will be seeing one another very, very shortly. You shall see… _

"I look forward to it," she said aloud, knowing he would hear her. Her mental strength had returned and she was Anja again. A whole, healthy individual. "Because I shall be going home then, one way or another." Her fingers traced the feather pendant he had given her, clutching the arrowhead to steady herself.

* * *

**AN: alright, more to come on that stupid spell Loki put on her. We'll see his pov next chapter about it. Its explanation will be woven throughout the next few chapters, so just hang in there! **

**As for the poll, thanks for all the votes! Haha the results are up and I wanted you all to know that I am taking everything you say to heart. You will get an idea of where I am going with this story when you look at the results of the poll. :D I'll let you all think about it ;) plus id love to hear theories... theories are always good :D **


	21. Chapter 21

"_Would you leave me,_

_If I told you what I've done?_

_And would you need me,_

_If I told you what I've become?_

_'cause it's so easy,_

_To say it to a crowd_

_But it's so hard, my love,_

_To say it to you out loud"_

_~ "No Light, No Light"_

* * *

As the quinjet Loki's men had used to infiltrate SHIELD with took off from the helicarrier, Loki let loose a small smile. The hardest stage of his plan was now complete. The Avengers were scattered, his brother somewhere far out of range on Midgard, and the flying fortress was damaged quite possibly beyond repair. Anja was safe as well, and her voice resonated through his thoughts loud and clear as she responded to the message he had sent her.

They would be together again. Her defiance would not be long lived- not when he was so close to winning. The spell he had cast on her had been dark, dangerous in its own way. Anything he had done or used magic with was immune to her powers. It had been an old spell, used by the darkest of sorcerers.

Absently, his long fingers reached up to brush the golden feather that so closely resembled the one he had made for her back in Asgard. That was his protection from her, this single, metallic device. As long as he held this over her, she was his slave in all but mind. Her powers would do little to no good against him… and she never had been a fighter with brute strength. He cringed to think that he had possibly lowered her to the status of a human for the moment, but once she was safe with him again, once she saw that what he was doing was right, he would give them back to her. He would fulfill his promise. She would still be his queen, willing or no. And her darkness would be her ally.

*o*O*o*

Anja walked quietly down the halls of SHIELD. Her mind was still reeling, her grief heavy on her heart. The medics had taken Coulson away on a stretcher, but she knew what the black bag that had covered his body had meant.

Her body had recovered from that blasted spell Loki had put on her, but not before Coulson had been pronounced dead. Whatever it had been, it had been dark. She was still a bit shaky, but by the time she had gotten away from the nightmare that was Coulson's death she had felt better. Stronger.

She figured the bridge was the place to go at the moment, so she slowly made her way up the decks of the helicarrier. Her Midgardian jumpsuit had grown tiresome and hot and all she wanted was a gown of her own. Her braid was a wreck as well.

With a sigh, she finally made it to the top deck where the bridge was… and was nearly ran over by Stark as he came barreling out of the control deck.

"Watch it," he mumbled gruffly, his face emotionless but torn with grief. He was not the happy-go-lucky man she had thought him to be as he pushed past her. She pressed her lips together in a fine line before gaining the courage to walk into the room that he had just come from.

Captain Rogers was sitting at the round table on the top portion of the bridge, head in his hand and eyes cast down. She was just able to make out the hem of Director Fury's coat as he left the room as well.

It was just Steve and her in the room and she walked quietly over to the table. He looked up when she pulled a chair across from him out to sit down.

"Oh," he said after a moment. "Hey."

"Hello," she said quietly.

"You alright?" he murmured. "You look a little worse for wear."

Anja folded her hands in her lap, noticing that there were burns along her knuckles from where she had been fixing the engine system. Some of the heat must have transferred through her magic to her hands during the rush… "I am… fine," she said after a moment. Her silver eyes cut back up to look at his blue and gentle ones… they were so different from what she was used to. "Are you?"

Steve shrugged, pulling back in his seat and looking down at his own folded hands that had come to rest on the table. "I've been through worse," he replied. "But what really irks me is that he got away." Steve's eyes met hers briefly, gaging her reaction.

"I know," she said quietly after a moment. "What was bothering Mr. Stark?"

It was Steve's turn to purse his lips, pressing them into a thin line as he took her in. "He's taking Coulson's death hard. I mean, really hard… We all are."

Anja mentally kicked herself. She should have been able to save him. Why hadn't she? She decided it best not to mention it to Steve. "I am sorry for what he did to your friend," she said awkwardly. "I should have been able to stop him."

Steve looked up at her again as her gaze travelled to his. "You could have?"

She nodded. "Had I been in control of my powers, yes. But…" she trailed off as she remembered his cold lips on hers and the spell he had cast with it. "He found a way to stop me from using them while he escaped." Steve nodded, his eyes looking down again.

"He would have wanted us to beat him," Steve said after a moment. "The world might change, but from what I've seen, the good people are still good."

Anja bit her lower lip, taking in what the captain had said. "How different is it for you?"

"Extremely. I slept for seventy years."

Anja shrugged. "The last time I was here, you were probably a teenager," she said wryly.

"You've been to earth before?" Steve seemed to be genuinely interested in her answer.

"Aye," she nodded. "And the world has changed." She looked at him again, hands resting flat on the table. "But I do agree with you. There are always the good people. To be truthful, it is people like Phil Coulson that have made me see a different way than what Loki would have me believe about earth and its inhabitants. People like you…" The last sentence had slipped and she bit her tongue as heat rose in her cheeks. She concentrated severely on her own hand in front of her, counting the seconds that ticked by.

Anja looked to Steve again, only to find him looking intently back at her.

"What?" she said after a moment, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

Rogers steepled his fingers together, studying her. "I guess I'm just trying to figure out how a dame like you got involved with someone as crazy as him." He was referring to Loki… and Anja's heart felt like it was going to drop to her stomach. She didn't want to talk about this right now. She didn't _need_ to talk about this right now.

"I-I…" she stammered as she tried to figure out the appropriate answer. "I told you. He was not always like this." She chewed her lower lip, breaking off from his intense gaze and looking back at him. She brushed her hair back behind her ear. "He was… kind to me. To be truthful, he was always kind to me… even when I first came here to Midgard to find him."

Steve tilted his head to the left, waiting on her to continue.

She took in a shaky breath, hoping against hope that the tears brimming in her eyes would not betray her. "He taught me the very basics of what humans refer to as magic. On Asgard, magic is science. As sorcerers we are born with the ability to manipulate the most basic elemental structures with our mind." She took in a breath, stuffing her emotions down deep. "We met in the palace gardens when I was nineteen."

"How old are you now?"

She smiled vaguely, trying to remember. "I do not know anymore, Captain Rogers. The people where I am from live long enough to lose track. But, to a mortal, I am around twenty five." Steve nodded before waiting for her to continue. She drew in another shaky breath. "He taught me my art. I trusted him to keep my powers a secret. He knew I wanted to run my father's library one day… Our meetings in the gardens became frequent… and then, well…" she smiled sadly.

"You fell in love with him." Steve was quiet, hands clasped together.

"And he, me," she replied sadly. "I was discovered, eventually, and I was sent to The Academy for magic. When I returned five years later, he had changed so very much. That was when Aric- his son- was conceived." Steve's brow furrowed as tears threatened to spill over the rims of her eyes. "And now I fear I have lost him for good." And with that, she had broken, the dam she had set all of her emotions so skillfully behind coming down with a single sentence. It had been her worst fear all along, the idea that she had lost her Loki… It had been why she had stayed at his side for so long, even when he had shown her his true colors time and time again. Even in Asgard… before he had fallen, she had tried to stop herself from seeing him as the true man he was. He _had_ changed.

Steve's gut reaction took him off guard as he reached a hand out to take Anja's. How could this woman cry for someone that had just killed a man in cold blood? A man that was still planning on killing all that it took to get what he wanted? But he smiled kindly to her when she squeezed his hand and he squeezed back reassuringly.

"Hey," he said quietly as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "If it's any consolation, he'd have to be pretty far gone not to change for a woman like you." Had he really just said that? _Oh, great. Really smooth, Rogers. _

She sniffled, looking back at him at that. "Thank you," she said after a moment. Her silver eyes were shining with tears, but she had stopped weeping. Steve patted her hand before letting go, standing up from the table. "I need to go find Stark, make sure he's alright. Loki's gonna make his next move soon and we need to be ready. Do you have any idea where he might be taking the Tesseract?"

Anja shook her head as she rose as well. "He never told me anything about it."

Steve nodded as he straightened his belt, his thumbs coming to rest in the straps. "Ok. I'll consort with Stark. In the meantime, if you want to get those powers of yours back online… well, we'll need them."

Anja nodded once more, already honing in on the areas of her mind to help her focus on the molecules around her.

* * *

**AN: Not sure when I'll be updating again. It might not be til next weekend *cringes* but I have a week of exams and labs coming up and I don't think I'll have the time or energy to write. I figure I'd rather wait to add a good chapter than several short and choppy ones :) Hope that's okay with you guys… again, I'm so incredibly sorry! I have so many ideas for this and how I want it to end, but school is just not cooperating :P **

**Til next time, Leave me a note? **

**~Sirius**


	22. Chapter 22

"_Judex ergo cum sedebit,  
quidquid latet, apparebit,  
nil inultum remanebit. _

_[When the judge takes his place,  
what is hidden will be revealed,  
nothing will remain unavenged.]" _

_-Mozart's Requiem_

* * *

Anja was in her quarters, a hand resting on her bow as she sat on the uncomfortable bed. Her meditation had brought her back to the present, nothing but magic in her system as her body hummed with the natural state of her art. Her hand rested on the silver arrowhead that sat on the chain around her neck, the metal cool against her skin… just like Loki's hands.

Her hair was still a wreck. It had been this way since the mishap that had happened just hours before. She hadn't had the heart to fix it. Somehow it felt like an insult to the small mortal man that had just been killed. She knew it to be pointless, a childish notion, yet why should she use her magic to help herself when she couldn't perform the most basic of healing spells?

Her thoughts drifted to Aric, her sweet baby boy back in Asgard. How could she let him be near his father now? After all that Loki had done to this realm… No. She wouldn't think on it just yet. It was not going to help her in this situation one bit. She knew what was needed, what it would take to be able to have her child back with his father, and it was something she would rather die before doing now. She would not aid Loki. She had to put an end to Loki's terror… and Steve and the rest of the humans here could help her.

Her thoughts lighted on Steve as the Super Soldier's bright blue eyes flitted through her mind's eye. He had been so different to her than Loki had… and kind as well. He was the only human on this ship that had not regarded her with suspicion after they had sorted out who was who in the forest. Somehow, he reminded her of a younger Loki. One that was not twisted and mean and cruel, but the man that had helped her with her craft late at night in the gardens of Asgard. The man that she had given everything to…

In exasperation, she let her hair fall freely down her shoulders, ripping it from the braid by normal means. Her fingers snagged in the tangles, her fingernails scraping her scalp as she tugged at it roughly. She was ready to leave this realm behind… It held too harsh a memory for her to be here.

She got up with a huff, checking herself over as she slipped her bow over her shoulder. Her quiver of arrows went next, and she was Anja again. Steve was waiting for her, as were the rest of the mortals.

*o*O*o*

Blood rushed to Anja's head as the quinjet took off from its place in the hangar. She was hanging onto the straps of the harness that held her in her seat, eyes closed as she fought to keep control of her magic. It had been far too long since she had truly honed in on the essence of her craft, and this sudden rush in one direction did not help anything as she got back on the right track.

"I swear if that bastard touches anything in Stark Tower he's going to have more than just trying to take over the world to pay for," Stark's voice through a communicator cut through her thoughts as her silver eyes snapped open.

It had taken several minutes once she had caught up with Steve to gather everyone to their places. Agent Romanoff was situated in the passenger side of the jet, the mortal called Barton that Loki had possessed control of to begin with now piloting the plane. A look down at the quiver in her lap made a small smile break across her lips as she thought about the special arrows he had shared with her before they had left the helicarrier.

"Calm down, Stark," Romanoff quipped as she punched a few buttons. Stark was in his red armor, flying very close to the quinjet. "You just get on in see what you can do to shut the portal down. Maybe we can end this before it even starts."

Anja pressed her lips together in a fine line, looking to Steve who was situated across from her. He unhooked his harness as the quinjet leveled out in speed, his blue eyes never leaving her as she looked away, then glanced back at him. "What?" she said after a moment, tucking her free flowing, tangled hair behind her ear.

Steve looked at her another moment. "Just… You sure you can handle this?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Aye. I can keep him distracted while Stark disengages the power source."

Steve looked to her, nodding before handing her a communicator to go in her ear. "Here."

Her long fingers closed around the metallic device before her gaze returned to his. "I do not think I shall-"

"Just. Keep it. It's a direct line to me if he tries anything."

Anja furrowed her brow. "Captain Rogers. I know him better than any of you. He will not harm me."

Steve's gaze never wavered. "That isn't the only thing I'm worried about, Anja," he said after another moment. "Just hang onto it. See that red button?" He indicated to a single raised part on the ear piece. "Press that and I'll be there."

"Hey, uh, Anja?" Agent Romanoff's deep voice reached her ears as Anja's gaze locked onto Steve's. She tore her gaze away from his as she turned to the agent.

"Yes?"

"We're ready for you to drop. We'll miss the window if you don't go now."

Anja nodded as she tried to get out of the harness that held her in place. When she couldn't, Steve reached over to her, helping her as he had the night before. He gave her his hand as he helped her up. "Thank you," she said quietly as the back of the jet opened. She was met by a rush of cold air.

Steve nodded as he helped her with her bow, ensuring it was positioned on her back. "I mean what I said, Anja," Steve said as the winds tore at her wild mane of curls. She placed a hand reassuringly to the communicator in her ear.

"Thank you." That was all she said as she looked down into the blue skies below her, readying herself to shift into her mist state. Her last solid thoughts were of Aric as her solid form turned to mist and she was freefalling once more towards the azure ocean beneath her.

*o*O*o*

Anja did not think she would ever tire of flying. It was the most freeing feeling in the world. When she was plummeting to earth, her magic surrounding her and supporting her, she felt unstoppable. Her magic was her lifeline, the part of her that was engrained within her so deeply that she doubted she would ever tire from it. She remembered a time when her relationship with Loki had been no different.

As she took a burst of speed on a wind current, the skyline of what she thought was called New York City appeared. The sunlight was bright and unyielding as she plummeted closer to the city, Iron Man coming up on her left as she made it over land.

She looked to Stark, nodding when he motioned for her to go on.

*o*O*o*

Stark Tower was definitely a credit to the Midgardian race. As Anja landed squarely on the ledge of the balcony that took up the larger part of the tower's upper level, she registered how intricately designed it truly was. From where she stood, there was still a whole other set of levels, rising up to greet the blue skies and white clouds. It was the ideal place for Loki to open that blasted portal.

She shuddered as she thought about the immense amount of power emanating from the Tesseract's machine. It was enough to destroy the nine realms, let alone open a meager portal. How far had Loki truly gone under his own dark spell?

And, speaking of Loki, where was he? Surely he would want to maintain control of the Tesseract until the portal opened, protect it if he had to…

Gaining her bearings, she travelled further into the tower, stepping through a set of doors and into a lavish room with high windows. She craned her neck as she peered over the tops of the furniture, looking for the dark head that she knew so well.

Slowly, carefully, she edged further into the room, her bow drawn and ready to shoot if necessary. For all she knew, Loki had some of the Chitauri here already… They would not spare her a second glance is they saw her as a threat, and she kept her bow ready as that thought solidified in her reasoning. She was playing on a field that was so much greater and dangerous that both her and Loki combined.

"Loki." She spoke his name steadily and clearly as she looked for him in the mortal's tower. There was no sign of an answer, but the faintest whisper of energy caught her attention. A dark chuckle echoed in her head as Loki's power aura presented itself. But where was he? She circled around and around in the room, looking for him with both her mind and her powers.

Then, as quickly as it had come, the power vanished, leaving her alone in the room. She looked around once more, taking in a marble bar and an assortment of alcoholic beverages in a range of bottles. Above her head, the Tesseract's energy was still coming in waves. Stark was nowhere to be seen, and she hoped that was because he was working on shutting the Tesseract down.

Lowering her bow, Anja made her way to the window, squinting a bit as she looked out over the reflective rooftops of the city.

And then, out of nowhere, she felt him again, the faintest whisper of icy breath upon her shoulder… and another dark chuckle as an air-like kiss feathered the sensitive spot under her ear.

When she turned around, though, Loki was nowhere in sight… until she looked through the room to the darkest part of the room, completely shrouded in shadow due to the lack of windows.

He was sitting, shrouded in shadow, his right leg crossed over her left and lounging lazily. His staff was draped across his knee, the glowing blue end illuminating the emerald fire within his eyes as he looked back at her. Her nostrils flared as she took him in, her fingers twitching to go towards the arrows in the quiver on her back.

"I told you we would see each other again soon, did I not, My Little Skylark?" he said coolly as examined the end of his staff. "And I never could lie to you, could I?"

* * *

**GAHHH! I hate that this was a cliffie, but it shall be resolved soon! As for next update, we will be getting into the actual battle. I think, since Avengers is coming out on DVD Tuesday, I will wait to really watch the battle sequence and wrap my head around that one more time before I write Anja into it. Paradise Lost is next on my update list, so stay tuned! **

**Also, I really, really, dislike writing such long, involved author notes. I have started a facebook page concerning anything fanfiction that I have written that I plan on starting to let you all in on updates and stuff. You can like it if you want, and I'll be posting some of my artwork for this and my other stories up there if people want them. The links on my profile and it'll also help me let you guys know if I can't update because of school or what not... IDK I just feel bad that I leave everyone hanging for so long, ya know? **

**Until next time!**

**~Sirius **


	23. Chapter 23

"_Don't want your hand this time - I'll save myself._

_Maybe I'll wake up for once _

_Not tormented daily, defeated by you_

_Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom"_

_~ 'Going Under' by Evanescence_

* * *

Anja's hand moved to her bow as she took in Loki's dark figure. The emerald of his eyes practically burned through her as her gaze locked with his.

"You never could lie to me, could you?" she said by way of stalling. "You just chose to conceal the truth rather than deny it." He had stood at that point, a smirk on his face as he sauntered towards her. He stopped a good five feet away from her, scepter in hand as he took in her defensive stance.

"So icy, My Little Skylark," he murmured, closing the distance so he looked right down at her. He exhaled, and icy breath cascaded over her shoulders. Her glare did not waver as she tilted her head back to look him in the eye. He brought a hand up to hold her chin, his flesh cold. His scepter bumped against her right leg and she shuddered. At his touch, her strength gave way and she could feel her powers beginning to fade.

That terrified her.

She pulled from his grip quickly, taking a step backwards and further into the sunlit portion of the room. He was grinning at her at this point, his staff at his side. That staff… that was what he had used to kill that poor mortal man… She suppressed a shudder as she looked back up to meet his gaze. "I would prefer to remain out of your reach," she quipped, shoving her tangled hair out of her eyes quickly with one hand.

He tilted his head to the left, placing his free hand over his heart and mocking hurt. "Oh, My Lady Anja, you wound me. And here I thought you were coming to pay me a visit."

Anja chewed on her lower lip as she eyed him wearily. The communicator Steve had given her was situated in her ear and she suddenly was very glad he had given it to her. Every now and again, she could pick up on his voice as he spoke to someone in the quinjet. Something shifted in Loki's eyes. Could he hear it too?

"I think this is hardly the time for a social visit," she replied evenly. She watched him, her gaze never leaving his as she took him in like the beast he was… a beast that she wouldn't mind it if he devoured her. Her heart raced, and she cursed her inability to resist that side of him. He was right. Their bond was too strong to be denied. She crossed her arms, the long sleeves of her Midgardian clothing covering her chest.

His eyes sparked at that and he stepped forward again, arrogance and power dominating his every step. "As I told you on that forsaken airship, Anja, I cringe to see you in such simple Midgardian clothing." He was back up on her again and she shuddered as she realized she was running out of places to escape to. The cold marble of the bar she had noticed on her way in pressed against her back as Loki advanced on her and she retreated.

She stiffened as his hand caught a stray lock of her wild curls, tucking it back behind her ear. Loki suppressed a grin, reveling in the control he held over her. When he looked down at her, her hair a mess and her face void of kohl and other vanity products she had taken to using during her time at the Academy, he was reminded so very much of the young, sweet innocent he had met in the royal gardens so long ago.

"And as much as I like your hair down…" With a wave of his hand, Loki had sent her curls back into the braid she often kept them in. She was clean now, thanks to his magic, and he trailed a cold hand down the material of the right sleeve of her jumpsuit. "Now, what to do about this…"

As quickly as he had touched her, Anja had pushed against his chest, knocking him back just enough to regain her senses. "Do not touch me," she said quietly. At his close proximity, her powers had weakened again and she felt nausea creep up on her. He had done something to her, a spell of sorts that she did not know how to counteract.

Something sparked in his eyes, but he allowed her to step away from him. "What did you do to me on the ship?" she said quickly. He pressed his lips together in a fine line, looking down as he repositioned his staff from one hand to the other. "Answer me, Loki."

He looked back up to her, eyes darkening. "Does it really make any difference to you?" he said after a moment. "Anja," he let out a chuckle as she glanced out the wall of windows that lined Stark's room. He knew exactly who she was looking for… but there was still a fair amount of time before the Man of Iron would be here. He walked back up to her, this time unwavering in his advance as he cupped her face in his hand. She tried to tear away, but at his touch every defiant bone in her body was gone, a direct effect of the spell he had cast on her.

"Loki," she said as her vision started to spin. A hand flew up in an attempt to tear from his grasp, but he caught it. "Please. Don't do this. Let go of me." He didn't listen this time, his gaze penetrating hers as he looked down at her. She was beginning to sag into him, and he caught her before she fell. She closed her eyes, his scent harsh and cold… Something else was there too, metallically bitter as it filled her nostrils.

"Anja, you are so beautiful," he whispered in her ear. "Why can't you see that you deserve this world?" His hand trailed to her waist, pulling her against him. "You deserve so much. Do not make the mistake my brother did. We are above these people. I am a god and you, my dark goddess." With a flash of magic, he had transformed the dark material of her jumpsuit to a set of armor that very much resembled Lady Sif's. Instead of the red and silver, however, Anja's was green and gold- like his. She barely noticed. She let out a gasp when he spun her around, her back against his chest as he walked over to the window with her. "Look at this place. See how filthy, how… disordered it is? We can make it beautiful. I have told you this." She shivered when she realized that the bitter smell she had been unable to place on him was the smell of blood.

Anja's breathing was shallow now, and she fought to maintain control of her own basic motor functions. What had he done to her? Never had she read anything about a spell like this… Something was burning against the skin of her collarbone now, but she barely paid it any attention as Loki's arm snaked around her stomach, holding her even closer. The rough material of his armor rubbed against her and she shuddered as he leaned in to place a kiss on her neck.

It burned.

"Because it is wrong," she managed. "I have seen how you have affected these people and, believe me, it is not in the ways you would have me believe." He stiffened at that, but he let out a laugh when she turned in his arms, using his right bicep as means to prop herself up. "I will follow you in this folly no longer, Loki. You are wrong."

Loki's nostrils flared as she spoke those last three words. The anger that rose in his gaze should have made her afraid, but it didn't. Despite her extremely vulnerable position, she did not fear him. "Would your mortal pet have you believe that?" he said hoarsely. "Tell me, where is the good captain? Why now does he choose to abandon you to me?" As Loki met her gaze, he could see everything that had passed between her and the mortal. So Steve Rogers thought he could take his Anja away from him, did he?

"He's none of your concern," Anja quipped, trying in vain to get her muscles to cooperate. Even her most basic powers were proving completely and utterly useless now as she tried to escape.

"Ah," Loki said quietly. "Just as The Man of Iron is none of my concern? Even though he is currently trying to shut down the one thing that will help me succeed in my quest?" He let out a dark laugh as Anja's eyes widened. "I told you, Anja, I am no human. You cannot keep anything from me. I am the god of lies."

"Yet you used to be so much more," she said quietly. Her emotional side was threatening to surface, something she did not need to deal with right now.

His gaze softened at that, and his thumb went up to stroke her cheek. Then, a blast of energy came from above them. Loki's gaze darkened once more, and when he looked back at her, dark energy radiated from him. "Lady Anja, I think you need to have a seat. You seem awfully tired, My Love." There was no love in his voice, nothing but a threatening tone that made her insides turn to ice.

The Man of Iron was here, and if the blast she had just felt was any indication, he had failed to shut down the power source. Loki's army was still coming.

*o*O*o*

Tony looked down at the power source that had just deflected the blast from his suit. Damn it. So, the bastard had thought of everything. To his right, he could make out Doctor Selvig lying unconscious where he had fallen after the blast.

As his mind sped through every possible scenario to shut the Tesseract down that he could think of, Tony detected movement from the corner of his eye. "Jarvis, activate the Mock Seven," he said to the computer in his suit. Loki was standing out on the verandah, looking straight at him. Anja was nowhere to be seen. Surely the guy hadn't gone and killed her…

"Sir, the Mock Seven is not ready for deployment," the animated voice replied.

"Then skip the spinning rims. We're on the clock." Tony quipped. He knew this wasn't going to end well for him, he could only hope that he would be able to stall Loki until his new suit was ready. There was nowhere else to go to get his armor… And he was going to have to face this guy to get to it.

Loki looked way too smug for his liking as Tony landed on the pad that would dismantle his suit for him. He never took his eyes off of the god as he walked into the interior of his tower. _Okay Stark, this is just like any other press conference. Don't let him see you sweat._

And just like that, Tony had launched into his typical self, sauntering into the building as the last of his armor came off of his body with a click. As he made it to the interior, Loki followed him, obviously thrown. He had expected a fight.

"Please tell me you are going to appeal to my humanity." Loki's voice, like nails on a chalk board to Tony, was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. Then, to his left, Tony could make out the figure of Anja, sitting casually in one of the plush seats that Pepper had picked out to go in the room.

*o*O*o*

Anja struggled against the magical bindings that held her to the chair Loki had set her down on upon Tony's arrival. She knew on the outside, she looked calm and composed, but in reality her head was reeling. The armor that Loki had created for her was hard and unyielding, a harsh contrast to the soft seat she had found herself in. It was worse than a corset when she was sitting down.

"Uh, actually I'm planning to threaten you." Stark's voice was clear and confident, even in the face of danger. She had to admire the mortal for his pluck, if not anything else.

"Should have left you armor on for that." Loki was arrogant as ever in his response, and as he got further away from her, she could feel the dark enchantment he had used to keep her in her seat tighten. The burning at her collarbone had not desisted since his enchantment had been placed on her, and it had grown in intensity. When her brow furrowed at the pain, Stark shot her a look.

"Yeah," he said as he tore his gaze away from her. "It's seen a bit of mileage and you've got the uh, glow stick of destiny. Would you like a drink?"

Loki let out a laugh. "Stalling me won't change anything."

"No, no. Threatening. No drink? You sure? I'm having one." Anja watched as Loki let out an irritated huff, moving to the window that overlooked New York.

"The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that. What have I to fear?" Was there a flicker of doubt in his voice? Anja couldn't be sure, but for the first time, he seemed to be convincing himself.

"The Avengers." Tony watched Loki, taking in the god's furrowed brow before continuing. It was a tactic he had used countless times when he had wanted to manipulate reporters- or anyone for that matter. "It's what we call ourselves. Earth's mightiest heroes, that sort of thing."

"Yes. I've met them." Loki was snide as he replied.

"Yeah. It takes us a while to get any traction, I'll give you that." As he spoke, Anja watched as Stark placed a pair of bands on his arms. They were metallic, but as far as what purpose they served, she did not know. "But, let's do a headcount. Your brother, a demi-god; a super soldier, a living legend that kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breathtaking anger management issues; a couple of master assassins; and you, big fella, have managed to piss off every single one of them."

"That was the plan." Loki was back to his arrogant self, and Anja looked down at the burning at her collarbone. To her dismay, she realized too little too late that it was coming from the arrowhead necklace around her neck. She looked back up at the back of Loki's head, anger coursing through her. How dare he tamper with Andrew's arrow…

"Not a great plan. When they come. And they will. They'll come for you."

"I have an army."

"We have a hulk." At Tony's words, the sound of a guttural roar triggered in her memory. Where had Banner made off to?

"Oh. I thought the beast had wandered off."

"You're missing the point. There's no throne. There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes, and maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the earth you can be damn well sure we'll avenge it." As Stark had spoken, Anja could feel the dark cloud of enchantment that Loki held over her waver slightly. He was becoming distracted… A little more, and she would be able to remove the necklace. That was the only way she could think of to remove his spell…

"How will your friends have time for me, when they're so busy fighting you?" At that, Anja's head snapped up, taking in Stark as Loki summoned his dark powers and placed the tip of his scepter against Tony's chest.

*o*O*o*

_Plink. _

Tony looked down at his chest, figuring out what the hell this crazy bastard was up to. Of course, when Loki tried to fire up his weapon again, it met Tony's chest with another solid _plink_.

"That's funny. This usually works," Loki said, clearly confused.

"Yeah, well. Performance issues," the billionaire said quickly. "Not entirely uncommon. Did you know one out of five-"

At that, Loki's hand had come around Tony's throat like an iron vice, throwing him down on the tiled floors of the posh room. Anja could feel Loki's grip on her slip infinitesimally and she readied herself for when she would be able to regain control of herself.

"JARVIS," Tony gasped out as Loki picked him up again by the throat. "Now would be a good time-"

"You will all fall before me," Loki said, a crazed look in his green gaze. And with that, Tony Stark was thrown through the window, glass flying everywhere.

*o*O*o*

If the next thing that happened had not occurred, Anja would have panicked for Tony. But, seeing the rocket-like device that shot from the wall after him, she knew in her gut the man would be alright. It was herself that she needed to save now.

Loki's hold was knocked from her completely as the suit that jettisoned from the wall knocked him off of his feet. As quick as a whip, she was on her feet, running towards the gaping hole in the glass.

She was stopped when Loki's hand wrapped around her wrist. "Oh, no, Pet," he said through gritted teeth. "Tis not safe for little skylarks."

His skin was not touching hers, so the enchantment he had used on her was muffled as she reached a single hand up to yank Andrew's arrowhead from around her neck. Without looking back, she slung the chain and pendant into the depths of the room.

Automatically, her full strength returned, and she gave Loki a wry smile as she used her magic to knock him off of her.

* * *

**Long, log chapter there, huh? Hah it will probably be this way for the next few seeing as there will be so much involved :D Hope you liked this! She's got her own little uniform now, I suppose ;) I'll be posting a sketch of it very soon. Sorry there was so much movie dialog… that scene with Tony and Loki was just begging to be written XD **

**Review? **

**~Sirius **


	24. Chapter 24

"_Still I follow the heartlines on your hand._

_And there's fantasy, there's fallacy, there's tumbling stone._

_Echoes of a city that's long overgrown._

_Your heart is the only place that I call home,_

_I cannot be returned._

_You can…_

_You can…_

_I know you can…"_

_~ 'Heartlines' by Florence + The Machine_

* * *

Loki lost his balance momentarily as Anja's magic caught him off guard. He was vaguely able to make out the pendant he had given her as it flew past him and into the depths of the room, but he was taken off guard again as she slung another bit of magic at him, this time drawing her bow to take aim.

His gaze hardened at that, and she felt the temperature around her drop severely as darkness took over his gaze… and then she was on her back, taken completely off guard when Loki sent a blast of dark energy her way. Her bow was at her side, the arrow that had been in the string on the ground next to her.

Loki was coming towards her, his long legs pulling him forward like a panther. Then, she heard the sound of the man of iron. "Oh. And there's one other person you managed to piss off." Loki's attention was dragged from her to the Man of Iron as Tony Stark hovered in the broken glass. "His name was Phil."

Iron Man raised a single hand, aiming at Loki before the god could fire his scepter, and sending him hurling backwards. He landed on his back, but when he looked up, he could make out Anja's form standing above him, an arrow drawn and aimed at him. Her eyes were slightly reflective in the daylight, like mirrors, but he did not feel the dark energy she had been so full of in their past encounters. "Anja," he said quickly as her arrow poised at his heart.

He looked down at his chest, then back up to her, a cruel smile playing about his features as he propped himself up on his elbows. "You already own that part of me, Sweetling." Like everything else he had spoken to her that day, his words were tainted, strange, full of anger. His darkness was shining fully now, the emerald of his eyes dark with anger… and hurt.

She summoned water particles from the air around her with her mind, forming daggers of ice that hovered around her already lethally poised form. Her bow was ready to shoot at a moment's notice, the daggers of ice ready to shoot as well. She didn't believe a word he was saying. There was not a heart left in him anymore. Whatever form of the man she had loved was gone. She shook her head, backing away when his gaze traveled to her feet. She could tell what he was thinking, that he was planning on sweeping her feet out from under her. Her time at the Academy had trained her well when it came down to magical combat. She was confident enough in her abilities to know that she could escape Loki at the very least if she had to.

Then, a loud bang shook the floor beneath her, and she felt energy so very similar to the Bifrost's thrum through her. She glanced away from where Loki was for the briefest moment, looking out the window as a large, grotesque alien flew by on what looked like a Midgardian Jet-ski.

Loki took full advantage of her distraction, sending a wave of magic at her with his mind as he stood up quickly. She fired an arrow at him, a notion he was able to dodge quickly with a small bit of molecular manipulations. "You won't kill me," he said quietly before sending a blast of ice her way. It had been meant to disarm her, nothing more. "Just as surely as I will not kill you. I want you to look upon me with pride one day, Anja. When all of this is said and done, I will please you."

She inhaled sharply, dodging another icy blast as he regained his scepter. "What of Aric?" she said suddenly. "You think he will look back on this day when he is grown and show pride in his father's actions? No, Loki, he won't." More of those things were coming down past the window now, and Anja could make out the ones she had seen earlier as they travelled further into the city. Plumes of smoke were already forming. Death, destruction, chaos. That was what this was- all it was. And Loki was the cause of it. "And nor will I."

With that last sentence, Loki charged her, sending her back a few steps with his magic before she could react. He came at her, the butt of his staff clashing against her cheekbone. Her head snapped to the side as she came up to block his advance, her long fingers wrapping around the cold metal of his staff as she braced it between them. She was no match for his strength, and her basic molecular manipulations would not keep him at bay for long with so much dark energy radiating off of him.

He blinked once as he realized that he had struck her, and she wondered if her Loki would come back for the briefest moment, but darkness came back to cloud his gaze in a wave as he lowered his staff. Anja dodged his grip, zapping him with a bout of energy as she made a headlong sprint for the open window. His hand came down, gripping her by the shoulder and tugging her back hard. She let out a cry as his hand clamped around the back of her neck, her nostrils flaring as she kept her gaze fixed on what she wanted, where she wanted to go. Out. To the light. That was what she wanted.

Going on her instinct, she brought an elbow up, ramming it hard into Loki's chest. He let go of her, and her powers met his chest as he was thrown backwards off of her. And then she was gone, falling from the great open window as she shifted to her mist state.

*o*O*o*

Anja looked up into the sky, swallowing hard as she steeled her nerves to face the swarms of Chitauri warriors that came from the portal Loki had opened like bees from a hive. Iron Man had already headed into the brawl, dodging and firing all types of fire power at the enemy. She lighted on the top of a tower, her silver bow in hand and flashing in the bright sunlight. The spot where Loki had struck her still stung, a bruise already forming, but at the moment, she was more preoccupied with the flying Chitauri beasts that were entering the city. With that final observation, she drew her bow and took aim at the closest invader.

*o*O*o*

Loki walked slowly out onto the ledge of Stark Tower, the glamour spell he had used to hide his full armor lowering as his eyes roamed over the chaos that he had created. This was his forte, what he had always been meant for. Chaos erupted around him, and he thrived off of it.

But where was Anja? She had dove out the window before he had had the chance to stop her. He knew she would not fall. She was far too powerful for that, but he worried that she would be injured by one of the Chitauri. He had always planned for her to be by his side through the whole invasion…

His thoughts were interrupted as a rather nasty explosion occurred in his peripheral vision and a maniacal smile stretched his pale features, contorting them from the vaguely worried expression he had worn to that of a crazed man.

"Loki!" At the sound of Thor's voice, Loki bristled. He turned in time to see Thor landing on the platform below him. "Turn off the Tesseract or I'll destroy it," Thor said, his hammer swinging threateningly.

Oh this was rich. His older brother… trying to tell him what to do in his new world? Bah. Loki was king now. Not Thor. Not Odin. Loki.

"You can't," Loki said as he turned to face Thor fully. "There is no stopping it. There is only the war."

"So be it," Thor said. It was not a happy comment, not one that the old Thor would have made about entering into battle, but a sad resignation. Fine, let Thor try to be the mature one in this situation. Loki was tired of being the mature one anyway. That was how it had always been in Asgard. But no more. Now Loki would do what it took to get what he wanted.

But why did he still have an aching doubt that what he was doing was wrong? That he was the trapped one?

No. Thor would not win. Loki would not allow it. The shadow was finally blocking out the light.

And with that, Loki lunged at Thor, a battle cry ripping from his chest as his staff clashed with Thor's hammer.

*o*O*o*

Anja looked up from her perch on the tower. She had fired a few arrows, using her magic to guide them to the Chitauri that had passed her. Now, her gaze was fixed on the giant portal that tore through the azure expanse of the sky. She wanted to close it with her bare hands, but she knew her magic was nowhere near strong enough to counter the work of The Tesseract. So she would settle for sniping.

She thought she would be able to keep her ground, but that quickly changed as something she would have never thought possible came gliding out of the portal. It was a colossal mass of throbbing tissues, some form of exoskeleton plating it in segments down its long body. It let out a mighty roar, and Anja could see razor sharp teeth within its powerful jaws. She fired a single arrow, knowing full well it would do little to no good against the leviathan that had emerged.

This was Loki's army. This was what he had wanted all along. And Anja had never been more afraid.

* * *

**AN: So that is the official opening to the final battle of this plot, guys! Hopefully it was action filled enough for everyone. We'll be getting a tad bit more Aneve here in a bit for all the Anja/Steve shippers, but that's all I'm going to say… **

**also, I am super excited to announce that there is a video for Loja up on youtube. It was made by the fabulous Redlil (seaweedbrain 789 on youtube) and I am honest to goodness in love with it. It has kind of sparked me to write another little fluffy sequence for these two (similar to Lover to Lover). here's the link. **

**/watch?v=-2nBFeFoZEQ&list=UUCBldpfz-_SPUO8xuP6mK7A&index=1&feature=plcp**

**thanks, Redlil! It's truly a beautiful video that has touched my inner fangirl XD **

**Review? I hope to get another update up over the weekend so… yeah!**

**~Sirius **


	25. Chapter 25

_**Hello all! I apologize for the disgracefully long wait, but I couldn't really watch my DVD until this weekend. I wanted to do these upcoming scenes justice though, so I thought it best to wait to update :). This is an extremely long chapter (almost 7,000 words!) So hopefully it'll make up for my absence…**_

* * *

"_And the fever began to spread_

_From my heart down to my legs_

_But the room is so quiet, oh oh oh oh_

_And although I wasn't losing my mind_

_It was a chorus so sublime_

_But the room is so quiet, oh oh oh"_

_~ 'Breath of Life' by Florence + The Machine_

* * *

Loki's staff collided with Thor's hammer for mere seconds before he pulled back again, swinging his staff as he prepared to do battle with his older 'brother' once more. Thor dodged Loki's blows easily, obviously still the same skilled warrior that he had been on Asgard.

Loki's staff collided with one of the letters that annotated Stark Tower, sending the pathetic bit of architecture hurtling down hundreds of feet. Loki barely heard the thud and sound of sparks it made as he lunged at Thor once more.

This was what Loki knew now, all he knew as he took on his brother. Thor's hammer came at him in a swift, deadly blow and Loki leaned backwards, evading his brother counter attack by the skin of his teeth. As Thor recovered from the mighty blow he had sent Loki's way, Loki gained the upper hand. As quick as a snake, one of Loki's hands came up to the back of Thor's head, slamming the god of thunder into the glass balcony railing and spreading glass everywhere.

A SHIELD quinjet appeared quite suddenly out of nowhere, distracting both Thor and Loki for mere milliseconds before Loki had thrown Thor down to the ground. So the rest of the mortals were here, were they? He would show them. They would all fall, one way or another. He would win.

As Loki took advantage of Thor's momentary set back, he aimed his staff at the quinjet. Dark energy surrounded him, and he let fly a large blast of dark matter. The jet was thrown off course almost immediately, hurling towards the people far below. He hoped that blasted Captain Rogers was in it. He hoped the mortal would perish. '

Quickly, Thor rammed into Loki, delivering punch after punch after punch to him. By this point, Loki could make out the destruction that was unfolding around him.

"Look at this!" Thor hissed. "Look around you. You think this madness will end with your rule? You think you will raise your son here?"

Loki caught his breath, his staff interlocked with Thor's hammer as he glanced around at the chaos he had unleashed. "It's too late," he breathed. "It's too late to stop it." He knew that to be true. He wanted this. He wanted to rule.

"We can," Thor said, a brotherly tone slipping back into his voice. Loki could have laughed out loud. So Thor was playing this game now, was he? "Together."

Loki paused for the briefest moment, as if deliberating, before summoning a blade of dark magic out of thin air and ramming it straight into Thor's abdomen.

"Sentiment," he hissed.

The next thing he knew, Loki was high in the air, being lifted by Thor. When he hit the ground again, Loki took advantage of being away from Thor's grasp and slipped over the edge of the balcony, landing on a speeder as it sped past a few hundred feet beneath him. One of the great Leviathan Chitauri beasts had already come through the portal while he had been fighting Thor. Countless Chitauri warriors were on the streets now.

Wind tore at Loki's cape and whipped against his cheekbones as he zipped through the air. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he hoped Anja had the good sense to stay out of this mess. He severely doubted it, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a streak of brown, green, and gold shoot through the war torn sky. He soon lost sight of her as he turned to the role of commanding his army. Hers would be a loss that would wound him greatly if it came to that, but he was too far gone in his own hatred to see anything else.

With a battle cry, Loki launched a blue blast of energy straight into the midday traffic of New York City.

*o*O*o*

As the beast that had come through the portal glided in a sickeningly graceful manner through the air, Anja steeled herself for what was coming. The thing was coming right towards her, Tony Stark's suit circling it as she watched in horror.

_"Hey, Stark? You seeing this?" _

Steve's voice was coming through the communicator in her ear and it caught her off guard. She was still not used to the Midgardian technology.

_"Seeing, still working on believing," _Tony's voice came through loud and clear, shaking a bit as he dodged some of the enemy firepower.

_"Anja? You okay?" _Steve Rogers came through her ear piece again.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she went to press the communicator. "Aye, Captain Rogers." She had watched as the quinjet Steve and the others were on had crashed into the middle of one of the busier streets down below, and had been relieved to find the three that had been in it with her earlier unharmed as they exited. Then that blasted Leviathan had come through the portal and Anja had lost sight of her mortal friends.

"Where are you all located?" she said into the communicator. She still had her eyes on the great beast gliding through the sky like a perverse, colossal sea creature of some sort.

There was not a response on the other end of the line as Anja dodged a blast from one of the Chitauri that was driving the jet-ski-like device. She whipped an arrow out quickly, sending it straight into the alien's heart before abandoning her post atop the building. She took in a deep breath, transporting into her mist state as she followed the Leviathan through the streets.

Smoke clouded her vision when she got lower and further in between the buildings. Every now and then she was able to shoot a blast of magic at a passing Chitauri, but her mist state was tiring her quickly. She needed to get back to solid ground and rebalance her abilities… and she needed to find Steve and the others.

Everywhere Anja looked, she could make out the site of overturned cars and piles of rubble from the already desecrated streets of this part of the city. Thick clouds of smoke were beginning to cloud her vision despite her mist form, and she knew she needed to get down to the ground. At least there she would be out of the path of the smoke. Then she would be able to find Captain Rogers.

The moment Anja's feet touched the ground, her body regained its solid state and she was summoning her magic and forming ice daggers around her fingertips to use when she needed them. A group of speeders was heading her way, large blasts of dark energy coming from the leading one. She did not have to look twice to see who was the leader. Even without the golden horned helmet glinting in the midday sun, she would of known it was him. The dark energy she felt washing over her in a wave was enough.

She could make out what looked like a mother and daughter running away from Loki's speeder. Fire was not far behind them as a car exploded. Loki did not show any signs of stopping either and no matter how fast the mother was running with her young daughter, Anja knew they would not escape Loki's onslaught. Did Loki not care that these were innocents?!

In a burst of decision, Anja leapt forward, forming a force field of sorts as she manipulated the air around her to form a shield. She was over the two civilians in seconds, shielding them from a teeth-jarring blast that went off ten feet away from them. When Anja looked up again, Loki was gone from her line of sight. The mother and daughter she had saved were on their feet again, and she prompted them forward before she started running herself.

A Chitauri warrior saw her as she ran through the panicking crowd of people and before she could react it had charged her. She stopped suddenly, pulling forth the spikes of ice on her fingers and slinging them straight into the monster's faceplate. The thing didn't stop, and she sent an icy blast its way in an effort to stop it. She dodged the wounded beast easily, the bladed weapon it had missing her as it came down towards her.

Anja backed up, coming down hard with a blast of her magic. The beast fell then, and it hit the ground seconds after Anja had started running towards what looked like a police barricade. Well, at least the mortals had some form of resistance, however puny it was compared to what Loki had.

Another blast was aimed at her from one of the beasts, and she realized that she was becoming surrounded too quickly for her liking. She pulled water from the air, forming small daggers all around her. She edged closer to a nearby building, trying to gain some sort of upper hand.

Suddenly, the ice around her turned to nothing as an explosion sounded behind her. She felt heat hit her in a wave as a car that had been overturned burst into flames. She was unharmed and she turned back to the oncoming Chitauri. But when she tried to summon water from the air, she couldn't.

Her irritation was evident as she realized that the air was too dry to pull water from… and water was her best form of magical combat. She cursed the full-blown fire that had taken away her one source of protection. She whipped out her bow, knowing it would do little to no good against the warriors that were twice her size. Two arrows zipped through the air towards the advancing beasts, taking out two of them. She dodged a blow quickly before taking a blast to her left arm.

Anja let out a cry of pain as she looked down at the singed wound on her elbow… and memories of Loki in the gardens healing her after an attempt at manipulating fire came back to her… that had been the first time he had kissed her. The next cry that came from her chest was a battle cry as she tried to rid herself of the physical and emotional pain. She struck down the beast that had shot her, dipping low and knocking another Chitauri's legs out from under it. Her arrow lodged deep in its eye socket, and she ripped the ivory weapon from its victim before manipulating the molecules to go straight back towards another one of her attackers.

She still needed water.

_You know what you need to do, My Skylark…_

Loki's words from earlier came back to her and she knew what she had to do. As she took a step back from another Chitauri warrior, she closed her eyes only briefly to take in as much dark energy as she could.

When she opened her eyes again, the irises shone reflectively silver… and a wave of dark energy came off of her, killing the three Chitauri that had been coming at her. As the wave ended, Anja stumbled backwards. Her head was hurting beyond belief, a dull throbbing in her right temple catching her attention. Her injured arm was still hurting… And she was weaker than she had ever been after a bout of dark energy.

She looked up at the sound of an engine. She was barely able to make out the sight of a stray Chitauri speeder coming towards her through the hazy skies… and her world turning upside down as a blast from the guns sent her back hundreds of feet.

*o*O*o*

Steve had left Romanoff and Barton a while back, taking off as fast as his feet would carry him through the streets of New York. He could see where the cops had set up in an effort to stop the invasion, but it was no use. The Chitauri were still coming.

He could make out the sound of two policemen arguing about what course of action to take.

"Does the army know what's happening here!?" the older man asked.

"Do we?" his companion replied.

With a final leap, dodging a Chitauri as he did so, Steve landed hard on one of the police cars.

Both of the policemen looked up at him, dumbfounded. "You need men in these buildings," Steve said quickly, slipping into the military mode that always left him feeling confident. "There are people inside and they're gonna be running right into the line of fire. You take them through the basement or the subway. You keep them off the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."

"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" the older man asked indignantly.

As the man spoke, several Chitauri had come at Steve. A speeder was coming right for him, and a blast had sent several cars flying through the air. Steve stood with his shield held out in front of him, ready blocking a good portion of the shrapnel from the explosion as it came towards the police barricade. Then actual aliens started to come at him. In a burst of speed, Steve had disarmed one Chitauri and knocked down another one that had come to his other side.

When he looked back down at the men he had been speaking with, the older man was already walking away from him and relaying the orders he had given. Steve knew now that the civilians at least had a decent evacuation route, so he decided to head back to Romanoff and Barton. He had left them in quite a pickle… A Chitauri speeder further down the road was coming his way again, and he readied himself to disarm it if he had to. But before he could do anything else he swore he could see a head of dark curls coming straight for him as the blast caused an automobile to explode.

Anja's semi-solid form collided with Steve, knocking him off-balance as he caught her. She was breathing heavily, and her eyes… something was wrong with her eyes. They were glowing a reflective silver. She solidified in his arms, looking up at him before blinking hard.

"Forgive me," she said as she attempted to right herself. She still staggered and Steve was had to steady her as she furrowed her brow. The speeder that had sent her this way was long gone by now.

"You alright?" Steve said wearily as he looked down at her. "Did you see Loki?"

She placed a long fingered hand to her brow, regaining her balance. "Yes. And I am sure Stark has already relayed the message that the Tesseract is impenetrable."

Steve studied her for a moment before he nodded. She clearly didn't want to say anything more about the bastard. "You're hurt," he said after a minute. He looked down at an extremely deep gash on her arm. Blood was seeping through the green of her tunic… had she always been dressed like that?

"Aye," she said as she looked down at the wound. "One of the Chitauri was able to get in a blast to my good arm." Steve pressed his lips together, his mask hiding the furrow of his own brow in confusion. Thankfully, there had been no Chitauri through this way since he had caught her. Civilians were being evacuated from the buildings behind him as they spoke. "Where are the others? Romanoff and Barton?" she managed. His eyes were really blue framed by his helmet and they reminded her how different he was from Loki.

"They were holding off the Chitauri while I rallied up the Police. We need to get back to them, actually. That's where I was headed when you collided with me."

"Well then," she said as she placed an arrow in the string of her bow, readying it in the case of a fight. "Let's be off then."

*o*O*o*

Loki's green-cloaked form sped through the streets of New York, his emerald gaze devouring the chaos he had created. He had come up alongside the great beast that had come through the portal, giving orders to one of the Chitauri commanders as he did so on the speeder opposite him. This battle was going so smoothly it was hardly worthy of being called a battle. Earth would be overrun in no time as long as his army kept this up…

He wondered where his future queen was.

*o*O*o*

Anja raced through the streets, right next to Steve as she steeled herself for the battle she was getting ready to dive into. From her place in the streets, she could make out Natasha's flaming red hair as the assassin spun and kicked. Barton was somewhere in the mix as well, and she could see him helping some humans from a crashed bus.

"You ready?" Steve almost had to yell to her over the noise, but she nodded, slipping into her mist state as she readied herself.

"Alright," Steve said breathlessly. They were still running, Anja launching herself into the air and flying the rest of the way as Steve jumped.

Before Anja was able to take out more than three enemy fighters, a bolt of lightning struck the ground exceedingly close to where she had been fighting them off. Thor landed with a thud next to her, his powers providing a window of time for the group to catch their breath.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve said quickly to Thor.

"The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable," Thor said quickly. Anja noticed the way he staggered. Surely Loki had not wounded him…

"Thor's right. We gotta stay focused on these guys," Iron Man's voice came through Anja's communicator.

Anja met Thor's gaze, the god of thunder's eyes clouded with sadness… but there was also resolve in them as well. "Lady Anja," he said quickly as Romanoff began to speak to Steve about a possible strategy. Anja had not realized that her eyes were still glowing like mirrors. "Are you well?"

Anja shrugged, looking down at the injury on her arm. "I will be fine, My Prince. Are you?"

Thor was still looking at her, no doubt able to sense the dark magic that was in her system. That blast she had used had been far more concentrated than ever before. It had almost been as potent as what had led her to Midgard in the first place.

"Aye," Thor said after a moment's deliberation.

"How do we do this?" Natasha's deep voice resonated through Anja's conversation with Thor.

"As a team," Steve said quickly.

Thor looked from Anja to Captain Rogers then. "Lady Anja and I have unfinished business with Loki."

"Yeah?" That was Barton as the archer prepped one his arrows. "Well get in line."

"Save it," Steve snapped. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us. That's what we need without that these things could run wild. Okay. We got Stark up top. He's gonna need-"

The sound of a motor caught Anja's attention, and from the looks of everyone else, it caught their's too.

Anja fought back a smile when she realized that Dr. Banner was back.

*o*O*o*

From his place on his speeder, Loki could make out the basic layout of the battle. Towards the eastern part of the island, small groups of Chitauri were going through, raiding and destroying all in their path.

From the western part of the island, however, Loki could feel an intense amount of dark energy being put to work. He knew exactly what that meant… and he knew exactly where Anja was now. Something rather strange caught his eye in his peripheral vision. The great Leviathan had turned from its track going after… the infernal man of iron.

Loki watched, his lips pressed together in a fine line as the beast followed Iron Man back towards the opposite end of the island and suppressed a groan of irritation when a huge mass of green muscle appeared from seemingly out of nowhere to meet the beast head on. The Incredible Hulk's fist came down on the beast's head, stopping the mass of throbbing tissues in its tracks and revealing a segment of its body unprotected. A single shot from Iron Man's suit led to the Leviathan's downfall.

No matter, Loki still had an unlimited resource in his army.

"Send the rest," he said darkly, his voice almost a growl as he sped back down to Earth. The Avengers and his brother would not be able to take him on forever.

*o*O*o*

Anja had taken cover next to Hawkeye behind a taxi-cab as the giant beast that the Hulk had just disarmed with a single blow came hurtling to the ground. As the wreckage settled, she could hear the sound of the Chitauri's battle cry at the sight of one of their most powerful weapons dying. It was chilling to the core, but she stood once it was safe to do so.

"Call it Captain," Stark said from beside her.

"Ok, listen up." Anja had to admire the way Steve took charge. He was a natural leader, something she wished she could be. But, right now, she was a ball of nerves and dark energy. She was ready for this day to be finished one way or another. "Until we can close that portal up there, what we need is containment. Barton, Anja, I want you two on that roof. Eyes on everything. Pick up patterns and strays." Anja nodded quickly as she made eye contact with Barton. This would be interesting. She would finally be able to see this mortal in action when he was not under Loki's control. "Stark: You got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

Barton looked to Stark. "You wanna give me a lift?" he said quickly.

"Right," Stark said. "Better clench up, Legolas. Anja, you can fly right?" Anja shot him a wry smirk and a nod as she slipped into her mist form. She nodded to Thor quickly out of respect, all of her transparent as she focused on stretching the molecules of her body as far apart as possible to send her through the air like a gas.

Then, she took off through the air, looking back only once to see Steve's bright blue eyes watching her go.

*o*O*o*

From her place on the rooftops, Anja found that she could see everything. Her bow was at the ready, shooting when she could as she fought next to Barton.

"Figured you'd be with your boyfriend," Barton said absently as he let lose an arrow that took a passing Chitauri on a speeder in the back of the head. It was clear that the battle was his focus.

Anja pursed her lips, letting an arrow of her own fly as she took a speeder of her own down. "Well, I am not," she replied tersely.

Barton let out a laugh at that, slipping down and dodging a blast from a speeder. Quickly, Anja manipulated the plasma like state of the blast and sent it directly back at the speeder that had shot it.

"Stark, you got a bunch of strays sniffing your tail," Barton said into his communicator. Then, to Anja, "Behind you."

Quickly, Anja spun, sending a blast of ice and freezing a Chitauri speeder solid in midair. She found her water manipulation was working quite well up at this altitude. To her left, she could make out a red cape flying through the air and lighting on a skyscraper slightly taller than the one she and Barton were on. Lightning shot through the air and to Thor's hammer as the god of thunder sent a blast of electrical energy into the portal in an effort to slow down the invasion. In her gut, Anja knew it would do little good.

She dodged another blast, ducking as Barton sent an arrow over her head to the speeder that had shot at her. "Thanks," she said quickly as she let another arrow fly.

"Don't mention it," Barton replied. "Stark, Thor's taken on a squadron on Meeting Street," he said into his communicator.

Anja let out a small smile as she heard Stark's response. "_And he didn't invite me." _

"Look out!" Anja said quickly to the archer. Two Chitauri had leapt from a passing speeder, almost taking the archer down before he snapped his head around, producing a blade out of nowhere and slitting one's throat. Three more were scaling the building by now… Anja was able to get a decent shot into one of the oncoming aliens' head, and Barton was keeping his ground as he spun and kicked his way through the fight.

"Shit. Anja!" Barton's voice came a little too late as Anja heard the rush of a speeder just above her and a strong hand as cold as ice came down and around her left arm that had been poised to shoot an ice dagger at a Chitauri warrior.

_Loki._

She could just make out the faint whiz of an arrow as Barton shot blindly at Loki's head, but then she was completely out of site of the archer. Loki pulled her up completely, positioning her between the steering device of the speeder and his chest.

"Such a strong one, My Love," he murmured in her ear. "But I grow tired of your child's play now. You are far safer up here with me." Anja shivered as air ripped at the half undone braid of her hair. The braid had come undone during the fight at some point, although she could not remember when…

"Let me go, Loki," she yelled over the rush of the air. From up here she could see everything… and she began to panic when she saw Steve heading straight into a building alone.

"Why would I do that when I am so close to killing one of your friends?" he hissed in her ear. At that, the bright red head of Natasha Romanoff on a hijacked Chitauri speeder came into view. Anja began to struggle, her heart skipping a beat when Loki let lose a blast of magic from his speeder at the red-head. Natasha seemed to be able to dodge it though. Romanoff cut the block once, coming back to where Anja had seen Steve enter a building alone.

A purple blast of pure energy erupted from a top story window of the building, and Steve came flying out of the window, shield in hand and smoke enveloping him. "STEVE!" Anja yelled as she looked down at the crushed metal of the roof of the car that he had landed on. She did not miss the tightening of Loki's arms behind her when she had called out Rogers's name, but at that moment all she knew was that she needed to protect Steve. She would not let another good man die because of Loki. But she couldn't do that if Loki had her on this god-forsaken speeder.

With a burst of energy, Anja threw Loki's grip off of her and dove from the speeder. She was barely able to transform back to her mist form before she hit the ground, solidifying on concrete and running back towards the commotion and the explosion site.

*o*O*o*

When Loki heard Anja say that mortal's name, hate seeped through him straight from his heart to his toes. How dare that mortal influence Anja in such a way as to make her jump from a speeder to save him. Rogers was hardly worth the dust on Loki's boots. Why on earth would a sorceress as talented as Anja wish to save him?

He could make out the image of Black Widow jumping from her speeder and landing near the portal device on Stark Tower. Loki was soon distracted from his thoughts by the sound of an arrow zipping through the air and straight for him. That blasted Barton was becoming more trouble than he was worth. With a quick movement, Loki's hand went up to catch the single arrow that had been fired at him before he shot a smug smirk back towards Barton. Was this really all the archer could-

BOOM!

Loki was thrown through the air, landing in a pile back at Stark Tower. His helmet was lost along the way… and he did a double take as the Hulk came bounding at him out of nowhere and sent him through the glass windows once more.

"Enough!" Loki cried out, his anger at Anja and the fact that he had just been bested by a mortal driving his rage. "I am a god you dull creature! And I will not be bullied by you!"

The Hulk looked at Loki for a full half a second before he picked the god of mischief up by his ankles and slammed Loki's body into the hard marble floor five times. Loki barely heard the Hulk's rhetoric of "Puny god" as he lay in the stone, unmoving as he looked up at the ceiling and attempted to regain his bearings.

*o*O*o*

"Steve!" Anja cried through the dust as she kept moving. There were no Chitauri on this segment of the street, but smoke still filled the air, a remnant from the blast no doubt.

When she came up to the crushed car that she had seen, however, Steve was in one piece, standing slumped against the car. "By the Norns!" she cried out as she ran up to him. "Are you alright?" She cupped his cheek in her hand, concentrating on healing whatever he needed healing. Her powers were working perfectly now. No one else was going to die on her watch.

"I'm fine, Anja," Steve said as he blinked. "How'd you get down here?"

Anja gave him a look. "It's… rather complicated. Barton is fine though, but I fear for Agent Romanoff."

Steve nodded, taking in a deep breath and wincing as he felt a few of his ribs protest.

"You are injured, Captain Rogers," Anja said after a moment. "Let me help you."

Steve shook his head. "Save your energy. We'll need it with all of this. I heal pretty quick."

As Steve had spoken, he had indicated to the countless civilians that were being ushered from the building he had just come from. "You saved them?" she whispered. He barely heard her, but he nodded soberly. His blue eyes were dull as they met hers, and he seemed so much older as he took her in.

Anja felt the weight of the battle fall on her too, and she slumped beside Steve on the crushed car as she regained her focus. A small sob escaped from her chest, and one of Steve's big arms came around her shoulders, comforting her even in a situation such as this.

*o*O*o*

Natasha had taken in a deep breath when she landed on the top of Stark Tower. She had just jumped nearly twenty feet from a moving speeder onto the top of this thing and the Tesseract was still going strong and steady. With a huff of irritation, she got up, slinging red hair from her eyes.

"The staff!" Selvig's voice rang in Natasha's ears. "The staff will close the portal!" Above her, Loki's army continued to swarm from the portal that had been opened like bees in a hive and it took her a minute to realize that Selvig was speaking to her. His voice was small, fragile. "This is all my fault…"

"It's not your fault," she said. She had never been the best at comforting someone, but she felt the need to in this situation. She knew what it felt like to have red on your ledger. "You didn't know what you were doing."

"Actually, I think I did. I built in a safety. You need to get the staff," he said quietly. "It can shut her down… and I'm looking right at it." Natasha felt her stomach twist as she realized that Selvig was looking down… far down…

Natasha nodded. "I can swing that," she muttered. Then, as she looked down, "I hope I can swing that…" It was a long way down...

Grabbing onto the railing, she propelled herself over the edge, latching onto a ledge that was slightly lower down. Quick as a whip, she thrust herself towards the platform that Loki's staff rested on. She landed on her feet as she tucked into a roll of perfect form to prevent injuring her knees from the drop. She hadn't counted on hitting her head.

She shook her red hair from her eyes, trying to blink back the pinpricks of light that danced across her vision. With another toss of her head, she began to crawl towards the staff… before a booted foot came down on it. _Damnit._ She thought to herself as she looked up slowly. Loki had placed a foot on the staff, holding it in place and keeping her from lifting it up.

Loki had recuperated, if only slightly, with a quick healing spell. It had been one of dark magic, designed for quick affects and bursts of energy. Every bit of him was hurting- both emotionally and physically- but hen he had seen this mortal trying to steal his weapon to close down all he had worked for, he had found it in him to stop her. He also just needed to watch the light leave someone's eyes by his own hand.

Natasha glared back up at him. He looked really beat up, no doubt courtesy of the Hulk, but she knew that appearances were misleading. Years of experience in the spy business told her that she needed to be prepared, even if he was walking with a limp. An injured beast was even more dangerous than a whole one at the worst of times.

With blinding speed, she brought her legs around to knock Loki's legs out from under him. He jumped out of the way, and she snatched the staff up from the ground, a look of determination knitting her brows together. She held the staff ready to fend him off.

Just as she suspected, he lunged at the staff and she used it to knock him in the gut with the butt end of it. Then he started laughing… before he backhanded her and she went flying into the outer wall of Stark Tower.

She was on her feet in an instant, hand springing towards him and latching onto his back. She clawed at his eyes as he spun around in an effort to release her death grip on his neck. The tazers on her wrist did little to no good against him, unfortunately. He backed into a wall, smashing her between it and the stiff armor he wore. She felt heat surge in her chest as her solar plexus contracted at the trauma.

She let go briefly, unable to breathe. Loki took a step back, admiring his handy work as his hands clutched the staff. "I had hoped the famous Black Widow would put up more of a fight than this." He taunted her. "Fragile mortal. You will all fail. Where is your beloved Clint? Hmm? Surely you will want to ensure his safety. I may save him for last when the Avengers fall. Hopefully that will comfort you as you take your dying breath." That crazy look was in his eyes as they bulged from his face, glaring down at her. He staggered a bit, though. His encounter with the Hulk had definitely taken a toll on his body.

Very few people had ever bested Natasha Romanoff in a fight, but now she was the one sprawled on the ground, her hair all in her face and blood trailing from a wound on her forehead. "Look who's talking," she rasped out as the tightness in her chest dulled. "Where's Anja? Has she abandoned _you_?"

That seemed to anger Loki and he brought a hand to her throat. He squeezed hard and Natasha fought the urge to cry out as tears stung in her eyes. "Barton told me things, as you know, when he was my slave. You are nothing to him and now I find myself wondering if you are anything to anyone, Agent Romanoff." His grip on her throat tightened. "Your teammates are nowhere to be found. What will you do now?" As if in response to the trickster's last question, Natasha snapped out of her mini lapse in coordination, her brows furrowing together as she glared back at him. She brought her hands up again, knocking his own from her throat. She spun kicked him, latching onto the staff.

He returned her blow, kicking her in the middle again.

And then he raised the bladed end of his staff on a direct collision course for her head. In a flash and a burst of adrenaline, she blocked his blow, bringing her hands up, allowing them to meet at the wrist in an 'x', and keeping his blow from moving any further towards her. In a twisting motion, she brought the blade so that the pointed end was aiming at the ground. The staff stayed in a locked position between them.

It didn't work, and after a moment of struggling, she swept between his legs, never releasing her grip on the staff. With a tug of her arms, and the momentum she had built up by swinging downwards, she felt the staff follow her. When he didn't release his grip, her momentum pulled him down, through his own legs and flipped him square on his back.

Natasha got up quickly, grabbing the staff and turning back to him… and walloping him across the face once to keep him down. Those alien things kept coming through the portal. She needed to get back up to Selvig. "Don't bother getting up on my account," she said as she smacked him again when he tried to get up. "Oh, and don't worry, I'm sure the rest of my team will take good care of you. Maybe Anja will... although I'd wager you're nothing to her too." His taunting words came quickly off her tongue. Natasha knew that was a low blow, but she was angry beyond belief.

After that, she raced with blinding speed back up to where the doctor waited, leaving Loki in the dust. He was so tired… And the blows he had sustained from that wench had lessened the effects of his healing spell. Now, he felt even worse than he had after the Hulk had gotten to him. The god would not be getting up for a good while, and with that last thought going through his head, Loki let unconsciousness take him.

* * *

_**LONGEST CHAPER I HAVE EVER WRITTEN! Haha I am so excited right now I can't even think straight. I hope this was action-packed enough. I really do love action scenes. As for the Natasha/Loki fight at the end, if it looks familiar, that's because it is. It was a one-shot I wrote the day I saw the Avengers the first time. The whole time I was watching the movie, I was really really really hoping Nat would get to kick Loki's butt. So, I took the liberty of adding it into my fic (keeping in mind it is AU) ;) It's basically a one-shot I wrote a while back called 'Don't Mess with Me,' and I added in certain things to make it blend with the story :D **_

_**Can i just say that even though I'm a Loki fan, I was the one leading the applause everytime he was hulk-smashed? I know, I'm confused, but hey, He had it coming. XD **_

_**I will be updating as soon as possible. (hopefully tomorrow, actually. I have maybe two chapters and an epilogue left and then this little story will be at an end.) **_

_**Review? **_

_**~Sirius **_


	26. Chapter 26

_Hello, hello, remember me?_

_I am everything you can't control"_

_~ "What you Want" by Evanescence_

* * *

Anja pulled herself away from the car she had slumped into, taking in the people around her. There was destruction everywhere and she feared what else may come. Steve had regained his balance as well by now as he came to stand by her, shield in hand. Somewhere along the battle, he had lost the helmet like head covering he had been wearing earlier.

"You alright?" he said quickly as he glanced around the street. There were no Chitauri in sight, but to Steve it was more like the calm in the eye of the storm. He started moving down further down the street, heading back to where he had been holding several Chitauri off before he had been called to help the civilians.

"Yes," she said as she drew forth her own bow. Her quiver felt considerably lighter since she had been in this battle and she figured she had about ten good shots left within the ivory compartment. "Where are the others? Do you know?"

Steve shook his head as he glanced over at the evacuees. "Tony's still got the perimeter, and Natasha was heading up to Stark Tower last I saw her. As for Thor, Barton clued me in that he was taking down one of the big aliens down on Sixth Street with Banner."

Anja nodded before her silver gaze widened and a Chitauri beast lunged at Steve from seemingly out of nowhere. As quick as a whip, an arrow was in the string of her bow and it was zipping through the air to lodge directly in the thing's left eye. She thought that was the end of that attack, but Steve's call to her brought her back from her momentary victory.

When she turned back to Steve, she could make out his figure through a haze of newly created smoke. Another second later, she could figure out that he was looking up at the high buildings that framed the street… and the countless figures that were scaling the walls in a reptilian fashion.

Chitauri warriors were coming down the walls, the unnerving sound of their battle calls chilling Anja to her core. She swallowed once as she glanced over at Steve, her bow already in hand as she felt her powers surge within her… only this time dark magic accompanied the basic magic. Steve looked away before her eyes started to glow silver again.

A Chitauri lunged at her as it made it to the first story of the building. She dodged it quickly, registering that Steve was fighting two of the beasts head on. She produced an ice dagger and sliced into the Chitauri warrior's throat, but not before it had backhanded her across her left cheek. She let out a cry as she stabbed the thing over and over, taking it down and sending as much magic as she could into the beast. Another one came at her, and the blast from its spear narrowly missed her as she ducked down. She waved her arms around her head, focusing on one of the cars behind several of the beasts that had landed on the ground. The car was made of metal, and it would serve the purpose she needed. Briefly, she closed her eyes, latching on with her powers to the basic molecular structure of the metal and pulling it forward.

The crashed car skidded across the pavement, taking out the oncoming warriors in its path… only this time, it didn't stop. Anja's eyes went wide as she transformed into her mist state and the metal contraption went through her. As she solidified back on the ground, her reason returned to her. That had never happened before… She had always been in control of her abilities. She had never put too much into her abilities… it had always been the other way around. Now, even her most basic magic felt like dark magic when she was manipulating it: out of control. The power that she had just experienced was dangerously close to what she had felt earlier that day before she had collided with Steve... and startlingly similar to what she had felt that night on the riverbank in Asgard.

Despite her shaky feeling, she whipped her arms around her head, pulling water from a fire hydrant and freezing several Chitauri on site. Steve knocked one out of the way with his shield before axe-kicking another one down. As a brief pause in the beasts' onslaught came about, Steve turned back to Anja. She was breathing heavily, her bow in hand as she glanced around with the prowess of a huntress.

There were still several ranks of Chitauri on the buildings, and Anja found herself wondering why they didn't come down to fight her and Steve at the same time. She was thankful for their relent in the attack. She knew if they all came at them at once, she and Steve would last little more than a few minutes… if that.

A hard thud came from behind her as a large mass hit the ground, and Anja had an arrow in her bow and was facing the place she had heard the sound come from in nearly the same second. She lowered her bow sheepishly when she saw the red flash of Thor's cape.

Prince Thor looked at Anja for the briefest moment, slightly perplexed by her silver eyes. "Anja, what is wrong?" he said after a moment.

Anja furrowed her brow. She was still shaking, but other than the uneasiness at her knees, she felt just fine. "Nothing," she replied. She glanced at Steve briefly.

"Have you seen my brother?" Thor boomed. Anja shook her head.

"Not for a while. He was trailing Natasha last I saw him," Steve replied.

Thor nodded. "These beasts are waiting on his command to attack, no doubt," he said after a brief pause. Anja looked back up to the Chitauri on the buildings. Her magic was flaring again, yet she still felt the darkness building up as well. She inhaled, readying herself.

And then the onslaught began. Anja dodged as many beasts as she could. Through the battle, she was able to make out Thor and Steve fighting back to back. She wielded her magic, finally able to get it back on track as adrenaline spiked through her system. Thor's hammer was colliding left and right with Chitauri warriors, and Anja fired bouts of ice and water at the enemy as she manipulated the water from the air.

Steve was fighting hard as well, but Anja was unable to spare him a glance as she drove an ice dagger into an oncoming Chitauri's chest and spun quickly to do so to another that was running straight for her.

Then she saw Steve go down, sustaining a blast from a flank of Chitauri that had advanced on the small group on foot. Anja whipped her last arrow out of the quiver, taking aim at the oncoming beast and sending an arrow in between its eyes. Thor blocked a few of the blasts with his hammer before smashing a car and sending straight it towards the Chitauri. Thor's hand came down to help Steve up as Anja made it to the two.

Steve produced a bloodied hand as he removed his palm from his abdomen. Anja herself was covered in bruises and cuts and the burn on her elbow still caused her a great deal of pain.

"Do we need to pull back?" Thor said quietly as he studied the injured mortal.

"What?" Steve said through obvious pain. "You getting sleepy?"

Anja pursed her lips together in a fine line, taking the two in… before a Chitauri she had thought to be dead at her feet swiped her legs out from under her and she felt the sting of a blade in her abdomen as her head hit concrete.

*o*O*o*

When Loki's emerald gaze opened again, he could feel the energy of the Tesseract's portal above him waning. Try as he may, he could not find it in him to care though. Every bone in his body hurt and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. But sleep was for the weak, and he was not weak. At least he had thought so.

A soft groan escaped his lips as he inched further into the room. That was when he came upon a silver necklace burning bright in the single ray of sun in the deepest recesses of the room. A silver arrowhead was on the chain… but it was missing a golden feather… Frantically, Loki looked around from his place on the ground. He found the item he was looking for, letting out another groan as his shoulder blades protested to the stretch as he reached forward to grab it. His hand came down on the golden feather, dragging it through the dirt and rubble towards him. It had been the one he had given Anja in Asgard, part of her necklace that her nephew had given her.

With an irritated huff that had nothing to do with his injuries, Loki's fist came around the pendants and a single tear trailed from the corner of his left eye. No, he was not weak. But somehow he knew that his little skylark was not his anymore.

*o*O*o*

Anja had had her fair share of pain in life. As a healer, she had seen it. And as a mother, she had experienced it first hand in childbirth. But now, with the blade of a Chitauri penetrating her body, she knew what true pain was.

No cry came to her lips as Thor swung his hammer at the beast, knocking the thing clean off of her as Steve leaned down to her in a panic. Thor was not far behind, but he kept a watchful eye as Thor tried to help her.

"Anja," Thor boomed. "How badly are you injured?"

Anja squeezed her eyes shut tightly, so many images burning through her head as she tried to block out the pain… and hold onto consciousness.

"Anja," Steve said a bit more quietly. She could feel his warm palm at her cheek, coaxing her to open her eyes. Anja was lost in her thoughts as they came to her in waves. Loki in the gardens, The Great Library of Vanaheim… Her sister Selena, Fandral, Andrew… a green eyed, dark-haired baby boy smiling up at her for the first time… Loki's touch… and kiss… and the feel of dark magic…

"Anja!" Steve said loudly as he looked down at her. By this point, Steve was looking down at her, a hand at his communicator. "We need medical back up. Now." She could make out his figure through the slits of her eyes, and she shook her head. Mortal medics would not be able to help her. She turned her attention to Steve, seeing his figure, but nothing else. Steve… The mortal man that had been nothing but kind to her since they had met… a true gentleman whose world she was trying to save.

_"You know what you need to do, My Skylark… Darkness is within you and it will break free of its own accord…" _

Loki's words were clear as day through the pain, and when she opened her eyes, a mirror-like silver overtook her silver irises once more. Dark magic could destroy worlds, but she would find a way to make it save this one. Loki would not take this world. Not when there was so much worth saving.

_"I know you'll do the right thing..." _

Phil Coulson's, that small, mortal man, words came back to her, mixing with Loki's. Yes, she was going to so the right thing. She was going to destroy the army that dared harm any innocent.

*o*O*o*

Steve had been watching dumbfounded as Anja fell to the ground. As he leaned over her, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was lost. He had seen death one too many times to his liking and he was familiar with the sense of dread that accompanied it.

He felt like kicking himself. He should have seen this coming. That Chitauri hadn't been dead… If he had known, he could have done something to keep her out of harm's way… after all she had been through he felt she was owed that much.

But then she had opened her eyes, and almost instantly the wound in her side had healed… only her eyes were doing that weird thing again. Thor was knocked a few steps backwards as Anja sat up. Dark energy was rolling off of her in waves. As quick as a flash, Anja had disappeared, her gaze resting on several Chitauri that were coming towards them once more as she lighted on top of a car. Steve could tell that she was not Anja in those moments. Something else had a hold of her… what it was he didn't know. Loki probably had something to do with it.

Thor was watching as well, dumbfounded. "Are you seeing this?" Steve said hesitantly. Anja had always been so controlled around him. Now, all she seemed to be was lost. The way she moved almost reminded him of Loki's fighting stances; graceful, lethal, and fluid.

That thought was solidified as she seemed to focus on an incoming Chitauri speeder… and disintegrated the thing on site. There were no remnants, merely a blinding light and it was gone.

Anja kept at it for several minutes, gliding blindly up and down the block as she destroyed the Chitauri that came at her. Blasts were fired at her form, several taking her square in the chest, yet she did not waver on her course.

Thor was back in the fight, but he was keeping a watchful eye on the sorceress that had seemingly come back to life. In the middle of the battle, Romanoff's voice came through Steve's communicator.

"I can close it. Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down."

"What?!" Steve exclaimed. "Do it!"

"Wait." Stark's voice came through the communicator loud and clear.

"Stark, these things are still coming," Steve said as he glanced up at the sky. Chitauri were still coming from the portal and showed no signs of stopping.

"I know. But I've got a nuke coming in in two minutes. And I know just where to put it."

Steve looked to the portal, then back to the obvious path of a missile. "Stark… You know that's a one-way trip."

Steve swallowed, aggravated from his limited viewpoint on the ground. What the hell was SHIELD thinking! This was a civilian population that his team had been protecting. Stark had the situation under control… he hoped.

Steve turned back to Anja's form, watching the mirror-like state of her irises as she wreaked havoc on Loki's army.

*o*O*o*

Anja was barely aware of her actions in those moments. The movement of molecules seemed to fade, and yet her magic had never felt stronger. As she glided through the city, seeking out Loki's army, everything was so simple. She watched her actions as if she was in another body. The movement of battle around her was muffled, as if from a dream.

"Anja!"

All her pain from the past year seemed to be brought forth, and she was forced to overcome it. As much as she could, she did. Loki's face was always in her mind, a face she knew now she wanted to see again… but whether she wanted to strike or kiss it, she was uncertain. As her rage grew, a static field seemed to cling to her. Dark magic was welling up deep within her, and it left her insides cold as the darkness rolled off of her in intense waves of heat. She needed to cool down. She needed to exit this state. This state of being was something she had never even read about, yet she found herself in it as she destroyed Loki's army.

"Anja!" There was that voice again… distinctly American and one she knew well at this point.

As she looked around, her eyes lighted on another Chitauri. The cold within her built up even more, her heart hammering against her chest… she couldn't take it. She would explode! Yet her magic had other ideas. The Chitauri that had been coming at her disintegrated on site as she focused on it.

Anja's soul was thrashing about within her. Her body was doing one thing, yet she could not bring herself to stop it. Selvig had said there was something more that could be wrong with her… Was this it?

Her entire being felt like it was pulling itself apart! She could not think of a way to stabilize herself after this. Her son's face flitted across her memory and Loki's as well. Another blast erupted in front of her as she caused an automobile to explode… And then a warm hand came up to her cold one. It was not the man whose touch she needed, yet it comforted her all the same.

As she looked down from the height she had hovered to, she saw a blue figure looking up at her.

"Anja, come on. Just let it go." It was Captain Rogers and he was helping her. "Anja, you're gonna hurt yourself. We've got this under control. Stark's fixing to shut the portal down." Steve ignored the shot of what felt like ice travel from Anja to his own arm as he looked up at her. "It's not worth it."

Loki's face flitted across her mind once more… Aric… Thor… Selena… And then Loki again… and her father…

At the memory of her family, Anja fell to the ground, collapsing in Steve's arms as the super soldier caught her. She blinked once, the glow of her eyes fading back to silver.

Her gaze was focused on the sky… and from where she was she could see the Man of Iron narrowly missing Stark Tower with a missile… and heading straight for the portal. What was he doing!

Steve had turned his attention back to the portal before Anja blacked out, her body unable to take any more of the sights in front of her.

* * *

**AN: Oh yes, there is one final plot twist up my sleeve, guys! Haha. This weird little transformation will be explained next chapter. ;) Next chapter shall be the last, with an epilogue to follow, but I already have so many plans for Thor 2 and I haven't even really seen or read anything about it yet. Yall would be interested in reading it when the movie comes out though, right? *looks pleadingly at screen* XD **

**Lots of Loja next chapter... but I'm not giving anything away just yet... ;) **

**Reviews are love! I seriously don't know what I would do without my dedicated reviewers. Thank you so much for sticking with me. This road has been a long one and I have kept everyone waiting longer than necessary at the worst of times. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sticking with me! **

**~Sirius**


	27. Chapter 27

"_No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone_

_No more calling like a crow for a boy, for a body in the garden_

_No more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love_

_No more dreaming like a girl so in love with the wrong world"_

_~ 'Blinding' by Florence + The Machine_

* * *

When Anja woke up again, she was unsure of a great deal. Her eyes remained closed as she took in the sounds and feel of the room around her. She was lying on something soft, but it didn't feel like a bed.

"Anja?" a deep voice reached her ears as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to block out the light that filtered through her eyelids as completely as possible. That voice wasn't the one she needed to hear right then.

"Man, just give her some time. The medic said she'd be fine." That voice was distinctly male as well, but once again, it was not the one Anja wanted to hear. She realized absently that a warm hand was surrounding her own.

She opened her eyes then, taking in the posh room around her. It looked very much like the room that she had been in when she had faced Loki. Her eyes came back into focus, and when she looked down at her hand, she recognized the dirty armor of Steve Rogers. Tony Stark was off to the side, standing at a bar of some sort.

"What happened?" Anja managed as she sat up. Her head started to spin, and she found herself falling back to rest against the pillow. "Where is Loki?"

Steve pressed his lips together in a fine line. "Thor has taken him downstairs. We're in a level just under the one that we found him in. I thought you needed to recuperate before we took you back to SHIELD."

Anja furrowed her brow. "The Earth is safe?" she managed. "We won?"

Steve nodded. "Yep."

"And the others?" she said quietly as she glanced over at Tony. "Hawkeye and Agent Romanoff?"

"They're safe. It's all good, Sweetheart," Tony said as he walked from his place at the bar over to Anja. He had a cup of something in his hand and he offered it to her. She glanced down at it, then back to him before Steve batted it away.

"How long was I asleep?" she said quietly as she sat up slowly.

"A good hour. Tony took out the Chitauri base and the things dropped liked flies. Then we hightailed it back up here to take Loki into custody." Steve's voice was deep and reassuring and Tony had made his way back across the room to pour something else into a glass. He was on the phone from what she could tell at this point, talking to someone named Pepper…

Anja swallowed at Steve's words, looking down. "What will become of him?" she whispered so only Steve would hear her.

Steve looked down at his hand, then back up at her as he thought through what he wanted to say. "He will be taken back to Asgard. Selvig and Thor are currently in the process of finding a way to regain access to your realm."

A slight bit of relief washed over Anja as she realized that she would be going home soon. She felt much better as she pulled herself from the lingering fog of sleep. Her powers were radiating at a steady level in her gut, no longer threatening to overpower her. "Thank you," she said finally as she met his eyes. She could vaguely remember how he had pulled her from that state of dark magic. The state had not been enjoyable for her, yet something in her had been unable to control it. "For everything," she added on.

Steve pressed his lips together, nodding once to her as he helped her to her feet. "Now, I think I need to find Thor," she said quietly… She did not mention that she wanted to find Loki as well.

*o*O*o*

Dr. Selvig was every bit the good man Anja had known when he had been under Loki's control. She had been walking through the labs of Stark Tower in search of him, often times following the trace of the Tesseract's energy he was working with.

After much searching, she had found the small old man, hunched over the glowing blue cube alone in one of Tony's labs. "Dr. Selvig," she said quietly, her deep voice resonating throughout the room.

Selvig looked up quickly at the sound of her voice. "Ah, Lady Anja," he said as he set the metal tool he had been holding down with a deft hand. "What brings you down here? Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave?"

Anja licked her lips nervously, crossing her arms over her chest. She had been able to change out of the armor Loki had forced her into, a simple white Midgardian gown now flowing to the floor around her long legs. "I… I wanted to ask you something," she said quietly.

Selvig raised an eyebrow at that, giving his full attention to the young woman in front of him. "Ask away," he said after a moment.

"You remember everything you did under the spell Loki cast on you, do you not?" she began, leaning against the door jam.

Selvig shrugged. "More or less."

Anja pursed her lips, her mind reeling. "You remember the tests Loki ran on me when I first came to Earth then."

Selvig's gaze seemed to cloud over for a moment, but as his memory returned the clear blue gaze of his eyes returned. He nodded silently. "What can I help you with, Anja?" he said when she did not speak for a moment.

"I… You are vaguely familiar with the magic I used to get her, yes?" He nodded. "I was just wondering if… If perhaps there were side effects other than the physical healing of my body that could have occurred."

Selvig pulled his glasses off of his nose, sucking on the end of one of the plastic ear pieces as he thought through what she had said. "I told Loki that there were possibilities, yes."

Anja nodded. "When I was out trying to stop the invasion, I fell injured. I should have died, yet the same kind of power I used to get here saved me. Is there a reason you could think of as to why that would have been?"

Selvig let out a humorless laugh. "I honestly couldn't tell you. I do remember Loki being very interested in that aspect of your… condition."

Anja nodded. "I couldn't control my abilities," she said quietly. "On Asgard, magic is science. I was simply hoping you could tell me the scientific possibilities for my lack of control."

Selvig rubbed his face with his hands before he looked back to her. "Well, I can tell you that when we found you, the tests that came back showed you had been healed. I told you this, I believe." Anja nodded. "If you regard magic as we do science here, then I suppose it would still be possible for the dark energy you used to have stored itself away in your system, sort of like a radioactive particle that gives off bouts of radiation from time to time." Anja looked down, inhaling sharply. "I would imagine using your magic is a form of excitement to the darkness that has set up house within you. Now- this is strictly theory- but I would guess that anything to do with the magical side of your abilities would be a possible turn on for the dark energy." Selvig looked at her for a minute, obviously deliberating. "Did you remain… pure during your stay with Loki?"

Anja furrowed her brow, clearly not understanding.

"I mean, did anything happen between you that may have led to a loss of your newly reacquired innocence?"

Anja's eyes went wide. "I do not see how that has anything to do with-"

Selvig laughed as he stopped her in her tracks. "All I mean by asking is that if something did happen, Loki may have penetrated your aura. Had you slept together again, there may have been a way in which his magic, transported by his seed if you will, could have found a way to taint your own aura. It wouldn't have had to be intentional, but it would certainly account for the darkness that has surfaced since you came to him." Anja seemed to understand at that point. "Again, this is strictly theory. I am no magician."

"So you are saying that the spell I used to get here may be the direct cause of my lapse in control… as well as Loki?"

Selvig shrugged. "Anything is possible, My Lady, as you and the Avengers have proven today."

Anja pressed her lips into a fine line once more before bowing slightly to the mortal man and turning away from the lab. A lot of her questions were still unanswered, but she did not let that bother her for the time being. From the looks of things, the Tesseract was well on its way to sending her back home and she needed to find a certain prince before anything else happened.

*o*O*o*

The containment center that Loki was being held in was dark and cold, and Anja suppressed a shiver as she made her way down the hall. Loki was being held in one of the smaller rooms of Stark Tower, somewhere in the basement.

The doors to Loki's cell slid open with a hiss, and Anja stepped through them quickly.

"Loki," she said quietly as she secured the enchantment behind her that would keep him in here. From her place at the door, she could make out the shape of Loki's hunched over form on the cot in the far corner of the room. "I know you can hear me," she said quietly.

Loki made no motion of hearing her. He simply kept his gaze squarely on the wall in front of him. She noticed absently that he had not moved or looked up, even when she made her way slowly to sit beside him. He stiffened as she sat down next to him.

"You're hurt," she managed as she took in the cuts and bruises on his face from where The Hulk had smashed him. When she went to brush his hair from his eyes, he reared back away from her, emerald gaze still locked on the wall in front of them.

"What difference does it make to you?" he hissed. "Surely the good captain has already told you of my injuries. I seem to recall you were always able to gain information from me in certain ways. No doubt you have shared his bed these past nights."

Anja bit her lower lip at that. "Loki-"

"Do not. Ever. Say. My name," he hissed.

"Do you not hear yourself?" she whispered. "What has become of the man I loved?"

Loki let out a snort at that, anger seeping through his gaze and stabbing her heart as he looked back to her. "All of this coming from the woman that would betray me?" he hissed again. "Who would seek to use me for her betterment in her abilities and nothing more?"

Anja's silver gaze hardened at that, but she did not lash out. "No. All this is coming from the woman that loves you." Loki cut his eyes in her direction, but still did not turn his head. "We leave for Asgard this afternoon," she whispered.

"So I heard," he spat. "Now run along, I think I hear the good Captain calling for you." Anja bit back bitter words at that, but rose all the same.

Anja swallowed as she stood up again, smoothing her gown as she retreated back to the door. "What Steve and I have is not what you think. He is a good man, but he is not mine. I…" She had trailed off as Loki stood up to face her, anger radiating from him in waves. She could practically feel it and if he had not been subdued, she would have feared him. "Loki…I remember a young girl, alone and scared when she did not know what would become of her when her powers were discovered. I remember the man that came to her and comforted her through the night when she could not sleep for worrying so much."

She sniffled as she looked down. No, tears would not betray her. He had advanced on her at this point, and Anja shivered as she felt the wall press against her back. His breath was coming in sharp huffs through his nose as he pushed her against the wall roughly. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but a bit of fear was still in the back of her brain. The man she was looking at was far gone, lost and hurt and scared.

With a sharp intake of breath, her hands came up to cup his face. He had poured his darkness into her; perhaps it was time to return the favor with her light. "And I remember that man that was willing to wait on me when I went to The Academy and grew into myself." She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments, pouring whatever light she could into the connection of her hands with his cheek. He stiffened, but did not move. She opened her eyes once more, meeting his gaze dead on. A few of the cuts on his face did not look quite so deep, and the dark circles under his eyes had lightened infinitesimally, but then again what had she expected? "You waited for me once, Loki. Now it is my turn to wait for you."

Her lips came startlingly close to his own, and Loki closed his eyes as he waited on her to kiss him. "And I will wait," she finished quietly after a moment. Then her hand was gone from his face and she was walking back towards the exit, freeing herself from his grasp . "Your son needs you, Loki… And so do I. I always have and always will. I'll be waiting for you when you are willing to return to us as the man I once knew."

"Then it is a good thing you do not have the lifespan of a mere mortal, My Love," he whispered. "For it will be a millennia before I change my ways." Anja's silver eyes tightened at that before she resolved to leave him in peace.

As Anja turned away, a small tear fell from her left eye. She did not let Loki see it and as the door slid closed behind Anja, Loki turned back to his place at the window of his cell. A tear fell from his own cheek unhindered as he gazed at the moon. Slowly, painfully, his hand went up to the silver chain around his neck, and pinched the silver arrowhead that had been resting under the collar of his tunic.

* * *

**AN: And cue the sad romantic music! :P One more chapter/ epilogue to go guys, I'm hoping to get a bit of Aric into this story, but am still trying to figure out the best course of action from here. I still have to wrap up the whole Aneve thing, but at least now we know who Anja picked, right? – even if it was bittersweet… ;) **

**Reviews are love!**

**~Sirius **


	28. Chapter 28

_**~Epilogue~**_

* * *

"_Time it took us_

_To where the water was_

_That's what the water gave me_

_And time goes quicker_

_Between the two of us_

_Oh, my love, don't forsake me_

_Take what the water gave me"_

_~ 'What the Water Gave Me' by Florence + The Machine_

* * *

The sunlight was bright as it reflected off of the sidewalk and roads of New York City. Anja's hair was pulled back away from her face, half of it swept up in a silver clip. Her white gown swept high over her neckline. It was modest and simple: Just the way she liked it.

Her arrowhead had not been seen since she had tossed it into the rubble behind Loki in Stark Tower, but after the events of the past few days, all she really cared about was going home and seeing the family that had given it to her in the first place. Her hands travelled to the silver bow she had slipped over her shoulder that morning, the quiver of ivory arrows

She was standing in the middle of what Steve had told her was Central Park. It was the only place that had large amounts of trees in the city. Steve was standing next to her as they waited on Thor to bring Loki to the site that they would be going home from. Selvig was adding the final touches to a glass compartment that held the Tesseract. Thor was taking it back to Asgard with them, a new relic for the halls of Odin.

"You all set?" Steve said quietly. He was dressed in a brown leather jacket, his older clothes back on in place of the blue Captain America suit.

Anja looked up to him, squinting the sunlight in an attempt to see through the sunlight. "Yes," she said softly. Steve nodded as he placed his hands on his hips. The transport that was bring Thor and Loki here would be here in a matter of minutes.

"So you think he'll be good to you?" Steve said after an awkward silence.

Anja chewed on her lower lip. In truth, she didn't know what would become of her relationship with Loki. Ever since she had spoken with him in his prison he had avoided her gaze.

"I do not know," she said truthfully. "But I do know I will be home."

Steve nodded. "I know you'll be a long way away… But if you ever need anything, just let me know."

She looked up at him, smiling sadly. "Thank you," she said quietly. "You have been nothing but kind to me since I have been here. I appreciate that, Steve Rogers. And I am sorry for whatever damage Loki has done to your realm." Her gaze was unwavering.

Steve raised an eyebrow. "That's just… that's the way I was raised, Anja," he said quietly.

Anja nodded before turning to give him a friendly embrace. He was far larger across the chest than Loki, and she felt like the large arm that came around to return the hug may crush her for a moment before he laid it gently across her smaller frame. "The same can be said for you. Should you ever need me… I will do what I can to aid you."

She pulled away when she felt him nod. A few minutes later, Thor and Loki arrived in an armored vehicle. Anja choked back tears to see the pale man that stepped from the back of the truck. The metal contraption that clung to his face was painful even to look at. How ironic for the silver tongue to be trapped by a metal gag. Dark hair fell over his forehead and into his eyes.

"That's your ride," Steve said after a minute. She nodded, bowing to him slightly before she went to cross the road. Loki's gaze was cast down, his pale skin a sickly yellow in the afternoon sun. Cuts still marred his alabaster flesh.

"Lady Anja," Thor boomed to her as she made it to the pair of them. Loki's emerald gaze only flicked up momentarily at the sound of his brother saying her name, but it was soon back at his feet. "You look well." Thor had just come from wishing Erik Selvig goodbyes. The Tesseract was glowing in his hands. "Are you ready to go see your son?"

Anja gave him a soft smile before she nodded. To her left, Agent Romanoff and Barton were standing together, the seasoned assassins slightly closer to each other than normal. Anja was a bit perplexed as Natasha looked at Loki for a brief second, then leaned in to whisper something in Barton's ear. A sarcastic smile stretched across the mortal man's lips as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Anja nodded to the two of them before linking arms with Prince Thor. "Let us return to Asgard," Thor said finally.

"I wish there was something else we could do to help," she whispered. "So much was lost to this realm."

"Aye, but some things were regained, I think you will find," Thor said kindly as he looked out across the way, where a few agents were stationed to oversee their leave-taking. Anja followed his gaze to the back of a dark suited man, short and with a head of brown balding hair. She wasn't able to make out the man's face before she was forced to turn back to the Tesseract. Loki's cold gaze was boring into her as she took hold of Thor's arm in a death grip.

But something was a tad lighter in his emerald gaze, if only slightly. That was the last thing Anja of Vanaheim registered before she was shooting through space at the speed of light. The realm of Midgard melted away, and the bright stars of the cosmos rose up to greet her.

The elation that always accompanied her when flying filled her, and she could not suppress the grin that stretched across her features. She was going home… with both princes. She knew in her heart that Loki was not evil- not truly. His dark magic would lose its potency eventually… and she was willing to wait for him. He was her lover, her husband. She would not abandon him. There was hope for him yet. In her heart, that was what she felt, what she knew to be a truth.

After all, did the flame of a candle not shine brightest in the dark?

* * *

_**AN: And so ends this installment in Anja and Loki's saga. Sorry there was never any Aric, but yall have 'Paradise Lost' to hold you over on the baby feels for the moment. ;) I left a lot of loose ends, I realize, and I did it intentionally. There is a sequel stirring in my mind already … one in which *SLIGHT SPOILER* questions about Anja's powers will answered. **_

_**On that note, a lot of people have been PM-ing me in regards to a sequel for this story. I absolutely plan on having a sequel, it's just a matter of how I will go about writing it. There is a poll up on my profile asking my readers what you all would prefer. You can tell me and leave ideas in your reviews if you want, but I am trying to get an idea if it would be better to wait and write their next story after Thor 2 comes out, or if I should just write my own. I am seriously open to ideas on this topic as I can't seem to decide on my own :/ **_

_**Also, one last note, I have an alternate ending for Lacrimosa that I wrote when I couldn't decide how I wanted to end this fic. It is DARK and kind of explores what would have happened had Anja joined Loki in the very end in the confrontation in Stark Tower. If you guys want me to post that, let me know. It is definitely for my Loja/ Dark Anja lovers… It's called "Breath of Life" after, yup, you guessed it, the song by Florence + The machine. ;P **_

_**Thanks so so so very much for the amazing reviews, guys! Especially: May Fairy, Morbidly Funny, Avalon Lady Killer, Lovely Insanity, I-de-Badbad-wolf, and Noukinav018. The support that everyone gave me was so amazing and gave me the will to finish this piece! :)**_

_**I apologize for the long AN, but it had to be done! **_

_**~Sirius **_


	29. Author's Note

_**Author's note: Hello!**_

**_So I realized the other day that I never really made it clear at the end of this story that there will be a sequel to 'Lacrimosa' leading up to Thor 2. So incredibly sorry! I had it up on my profile, but it seems I neglected to tell everyone at the end of this one. _**

**_I'm almost finished with the piece, but you can find it on my profile. _**

**_Title: Dissonance._**

**_Summary: _**_She thought she was safe, that Loki was on the road to recovery. But unfortunately fate has a way of taking turns one would have never thought possible. The Tesseract was never just and cube, after all._

**_This story will be very crucial to the Thor 2 Story I already have planned so I wanted to let y'all know it's up. xD I know a lot of people have found it already, but I wanted to take the time to say that this one is up. _**

**_Sorry for the confusion, and sorry that this is just an author's note! _**

**_~Sirius _**


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